From the Director of Pedagogy and Innovation

Distractions, Overstimulation and the Myth of Multi-Tasking

Myths, while sometimes entertaining can take on a life of their own and somehow shift from fiction into being accepted as facts. Common myths such as bulls reacting madly to the colour red, or goldfish having a three second memory are examples of anecdotes or tales that get accepted as truths, when in fact they are not.

Multi-tasking fits this category too. The idea of flicking between tasks efficiently, knocking items off to-do lists and ending up with additional free time is the dream we have all bought into. Significant research however, now shows that we are not able to multi-task as we once thought and it is in fact the brain switching between tasks very quickly, not completing them simultaneously. When we do this the inevitable end is overstimulation, which is in fact a productivity killer, rather than a productivity booster.  The over-stimulation interferes with our concentration and drags back productivity and work output. I am sure many of us are familiar with the drained feeling from trying to stay on top of multiple tasks and tracking different points in what we are doing. In reality, we would be much better off tackling one task at a time, completing it and moving on, rather than trying to juggle many things at once. Even in a leisure sense, watching a television show while on a phone interferes with concentration and enjoyment.

Notifications from social media, news channels or phone apps are continually interrupting and breaking trains of thought. The personalisation of notifications that are pushed out are designed to capture our focus and often set us up for interaction with an app or website. Turning off notifications and updates are a small tool we can use to fight back against overstimulation and distractions; any phone beep or email ping is a distraction waiting to happen. 

Rather than having a notification sound, swapping them out for a routine of checking emails a couple of times a day could be a more sustainable way to manage your inbox and calm your mind. Other options could be leaving your phone in another room for an hour a day or allocating time to be outside for leisure. 

Whatever you want to try to break the distraction cycle, good luck! May your mind be clearer and calmer as a result.

Mr Chris Sanders

Director of Pedagogy and Innovation