Multitasking - Making it Work

So, we’ve all seen the studies that our human brains can’t really multitask, it’s more of a mental ping-pong match with rapid back and forth between different activities. But, hyperactive, overscheduled, perfectionistic individuals like me still want to be able to accomplish MORE MORE MORE! We all know that responding to emails while on a phone call can lead to hitting Reply All on an important private email as well as inadvertently agreeing to a weekly commitment for the next 14 years. Who hasn’t had a pot boil all over the stove while trying to fold laundry and double check math homework? Of course, there's also the classic attempt to carry all the groceries in one trip, resulting in broken items scattered on the garage floor. Suddenly the workload has doubled, thanks to trying to cut it in half. Multitasking is just terrific, isn’t it?

Exercising our shadows!

But this morning, I had a chance to accomplish multiple positive things in the span of an hour without any disastrous occurrences. Mako and I dropped the kids off at school and then headed to our favorite trail. My good friend and I were finally able to catch up on a cool, cloudy fall morning. Our dogs got to socialize as well as exercise. I got 3 miles closer to my 2022 goal of walking/running 500 miles. Friendship - check, spend time with the dog - check, social enrichment for the dog (side note, dogs don’t just need physical exercise, mental and social activities are imperative too) - check, physical fitness - check, striving for personal goals - also check!

So, now what? Should I or shouldn’t I multitask? It’s actually pretty simple,

just pick things that can be done concurrently without requiring even mild changes in train of thought. Audiobooks while running or driving are a favorite for me, social activities mixed with exercise are also a win, and coming home to a big Crock-pot of hot soup works well too.

One of the times I flooded the laundry room!

Watch out for thinking you are going to save time by trying to just run and grab something out of the other room while the bath is filling. You will end up folding a load of laundry, stopping to look at a new book, responding to a few previously ignored texts, and loading the dishwasher. When you walk back into the bathroom, the tub has overflowed and is no longer hot. Just ask me how that intentional self care “me-time” bath went….So much for that relaxing soak in the tub, it’s time to mop and then wash the pile of sopping towels.

What are your multitasking wins and losses? I can’t be the only one who has ended up with puddles on the floor and burned dinners.