Multitasking is a myth
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Posted
by Monica at
5/7/2009 12:43 PM PDT
on Wellness Essentials
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This great NYTimes article comments on a book by Winifred Gallagher about dividing our attention. Basically, she says that multi-tasking is a myth. There are several scientific reasons given and studies referenced, but I’m more interested in the recommendations. The article says that Gallagher “recommends starting your work day concentrating on your most important task for 90 minutes. At that point your prefrontal cortex probably needs a rest, and you can answer e-mail, return phone calls and sip caffeine (which does help attention) before focusing again. But until that first break, don’t get distracted by anything else, because it can take the brain 20 minutes to do the equivalent of rebooting after an interruption.”Can you imagine focusing on something for 90 minutes? Yes, working from home when the kids are in bed asleep and hubby is in another room watching a long movie. But not at work, where people talk loudly over cubes or stop by with quick questions. I can’t even imagine how many 20-minute re-boots I do every day. That’s why my blogs are always so short!!
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