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Zina Al Kharraz's avatar

Very well written article as usual. I am very aware of our short attention span and the effect of what we like to call “multitasking” on our overall performance. However, for many it is simply not possible to shut off all distractions and have a certain amount of time just for their work. Is there anything a person can do to minimize the amount needed to get back into optimal performance in the case of an unavoidable distraction?

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Dana's avatar

I still multitask but with that in mind, I am aware now of how it impacts my work performance and affects my mental state-especially at work; checking emails, responding to text messages and phone calls, talking to people, checking my schedule-while walking to attend an unscheduled meeting. Due to our 'selective attention' process, we tend to consciously attend to one event while suppressing distractions. When we are 'multitasking'- or as I can see it, squeezing tasks into our limited attention span, we are overwhelming our system, which could still work, but it will definitely be compromised in terms of quality and efficiency, and would lead to frustration..

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