Last week I went to a meeting on performance-improvement at Nova University. One area that I learned works against performance-improvement is multitasking. Everyone has heard this term, but what is it exactly? I looked up the definition of multitasking on the Web and found that it is, in more words or less, the act of stopping a task before it is completed and shifting to something else. The explanation went on to say that when a task is stopped and restarted there is an immediate loss of efficiency because our mind has to then restart and refamiliarize. At the conference, the professor illustrated his point with the example of someone who takes a cigarette break. “What is the first thing the person says when he returns to his desk?” he asked. We all answered at once: Where was I now?

Since this meeting I have become aware of the how inefficient I am when I try to do more than one thing at a time. But as I am now more aware of this I am making a concerted effort to be more focused and to limit multitasking. What I have learned is that it is a hard habit to break, because we have been so conditioned to multitask and we see it as normal.

Here are a few things that I am trying to implement in an effort to slow down and achieve a more balanced life:

Check e-mail messages once an hour, at most.

Close the computer at a set time and don’t check e-mail after a set time.

Block off time solely for work and try not to take calls during this time.

Learn not to overschedule meetings.

Learn to use your Outlook calendar (or other linked calendar) to your advantage, especially if you are on a shared network.

If you enjoy background noise, listen to soothing background music to reduce distractions.

Turn off the cell phone and set up a time to return needed messages so you are not distracted during the day.

I am learning that I have to, well, learn how to manage time in a world where technology seems to have taken over. For many of us, we feel we need to be connected 24/7. In reality, this only happens when we let it. Learning how to train yourself into living at a more civilized pace is the key to being more efficient, but it also is a way to achieve a better life/work balance.

Let me know if you have been successful at becoming more focused, improving your own performance, and achieving a true work/life balance. I would be interested in learning what works for you.

Have a great week!

Anne Llewellyn, RN-BC, MS, BHSA, CCM, CRRN
Editor-in-Chief of Across My Desk, Case in Point magazine, and the Case Management Resource Guide
allewellyn@dorlandhealth.com