As the poet Emily Dickinson once said, "The brain is wider than the sky.” We can do more than we realise if we build on our brain’s potential for dividing its consciousness. The latter is not only justified by this quote, but also the world’s current situation. Though some demonise multitasking due to its heavy healthy effects, sometimes problems and tasks come at us from every angle, which creates a need to multitask, whether we like it or not.
The ability to multitask is no longer a skill to overlook, says Divine Mutangana, a student at Mount Kenya University, and a librarian.
"In today’s time, being able to multitask is considered as a valuable asset and actually sets people apart. Looking at how quickly things come and go nowadays, not being able to multitask usually results in missed out opportunities,” she says.
That said, it’s not just about being able to do multiple things at one time, it’s also about doing all those things with all the distractions around you — it’s about focus and discipline.
However, this skill remains a challenge to many people who are required to multitask. This leads to a failure to fulfil some of their responsibilities.
"Keep in mind that you have to do all the duties, and do not make one accomplishment an excuse of the failure to do another,” explains Viviens Uwizeyimana, a social entrepreneur.
Here are four essential steps that can help you to multitask:
Have an effective plan (to-do list)
In order to be able to multitask more efficiently, it’s important to plan your day out before, says Uwizeyimana.
"The order in which you arrange the work that needs to be done plays a vital role in its performance. Better to start with the most demanding tasks first and end up with less time-consuming tasks,” he explains.
Set aside distractions
"Any interruptions can easily mess with your schedule,” says Ange Noella Uwase, a medical student and online blogger.
"I even advise finding a place that you can work freely without a lot going on in the background,” he adds.
Uwizeyimana says that one can’t manage the situation with chaos around. For moments like these, he says, it’s important to be able to tune out. Most of the time, music may be the solution.
Breakdown tasks
The worst thing you can do is look at your work as a giant task covering everything. This brings about intimidation. That’s why it’s reasonable to break down large tasks into smaller, simple tasks.
Shalom Azabe, a general counsellor, says it is important to work on several tasks at once, making them small enough allows them to remain manageable.
"Consider your work as pieces of a larger whole. Then break them down to their essential parts so as to work on those that are linked in a sequence, one at a time, to eventually accomplish the larger task in as little time as possible,” says Azabe.
Put all the related things together
"When you start working on something, your brain activates all the circuits and neurons for that particular task,” explains Philbert Ndagijimana, a Rwandan medical student at the University of Rochester.
"When you end up switching to a new task, it needs to start adjusting and redirecting. Basically, every time you switch to a different task, you’re losing time.”
He suggests bundling things that are related together, which will allow you to switch between them with ease.
Prioritise the list
Finally, prioritise based on deadlines and by the criteria — whether it can be multitasked or not.
Aline Nyirabageni, a businesswoman, says,
"Let’s say you have three tasks but with limited time. For example, getting an assignment done, studying for a test and discussing a group project online. As you see, studying for the test is both important and requires more attention than the other two”, she says.
Thus, it might be wise to first study for the test and then discuss the project online while doing the assignment simultaneously.