Can concentration and multitasking go together?
I have been asked whether improving concentration might interfere with one’s multi-tasking ability.
Concentration means doing one thing at a time or focusing on one thought. It is the opposite of multitasking, which involves trying to do several things simultaneously.
When we do several things simultaneously, we are moving our attention quickly from one thought or object to another. It only seems to us that we are focusing on several tasks simultaneously.
- Learning to focus your mind gives you control over your mind and your attention.
- With multitasking, you move your attention swiftly from one task to another. This can lead to short attention span.
Moving your attention swiftly between tasks, from one topic to another, makes it challenging to focus for more than a short while.
Multitasking can become tiring and interfere with task completion because it does not allow us to focus on each task long and intently enough.
When we move our attention back and forth between several tasks, we lose energy. This can sometimes, depending on the tasks we are carrying out, make us feel exhausted.
Multitasking Definition
To understand this word better, we need to define it.
Multitasking means doing several things at the same time, such as cooking while watching TV, doing homework while listening to music, texting, etc.
Cambridge dictionary multitasking definition – “The ability to do several different jobs at the same time.”
Merriam-Webster dictionary multitasking definition – “The performance of multiple tasks at one time.”
Collins dictionary defines this word as – “a situation in which a computer or person does more than one thing at the same time.”
Wikepedia says – “multitasking is the ability to perform more than one task or activity at the same time, such as speaking on the phone while driving a car.”
“Multitasking can result in time wasted due to human context switching and becoming prone to errors due to insufficient attention.”
Doing several things simultaneously divides your attention and allows you to focus only partially on all of the tasks. This can lead to inefficiency and making mistakes due to lack of enough attention.
The Importance of Concentration
Developing a certain degree of concentration ability will enable you to fix your mind for more extended periods exclusively on one thought or activity. Therefore, you will be able to study, understand and accomplish everything better and more efficiently.
With better concentration, it will be easier for you to focus on one thing and not allow it to wander away. This will also improve your ability to handle any task that you need to carry out.
Concentration allows you to focus your attention on one thing at a time and hold it there in accordance with your will. The stronger your concentration, the more time you can spend fixed on one thought or activity.
With a focused mind, you get better results and avoid errors in everything you do.
Focusing Instead of Multitasking
You divide your attention With multitasking, moving your attention from one thing to another. This leads to a loss of energy and time and to making mistakes.
By learning to focus your attention, you learn to keep it in one place instead of multitasking, where you move it swiftly from one task to another.
Learning to keep your attention on one thing, which is concentration, would enable you to disregard and reject unwanted thoughts, and this means greater inner peace and tranquility.
You attain greater control of your mind and thoughts with greater inner peace. This would make it easier to clear your mind from irrelevant thoughts when you need to focus.
Don’t be afraid that improving your concentration would make your mind rigid and inflexible and your life boring. On the contrary, it will strengthen and make your five senses sharper. It will enhance your intuition, make your mind more peaceful, and help you in many ways.
Just think, when do you accomplish more, when do you focus your full attention on a single task, or when do you watch TV, read mail, chat with friends on the phone, or text them all at the same time?
Which task takes less time and effort to accomplish, one that you focus on, or one that you try to carry out with several other tasks at the same time?
This should be obvious. So what do you choose, concentration or multitasking?
Don’t get me wrong. I am not against multitasking. Sometimes, it can be helpful in certain situations, especially when you are in a hurry and pressed for time.
However, in most cases, when focusing on one task at a time until you finish it, you accomplish more, better and more efficiently.
Multitasking Quotes
“Multitasking is like constantly pulling up a plant. This kind of constant shifting of your attention means that new ideas and concepts have no chance to take root and flourish.”
– Barbara Oakley
“Most of the work on multitasking suggests that it generally makes you less efficient, not more.”
– James Surowiecki
“You can do two things at once, but you can’t focus effectively on two things at once.”
– Gary Keller
