Are you a Multitasker? Well, however you may perceive yourself, we all live in a world of multitasking. Every one of us needs to take care of so many different tasks at the same time! Be it at work, at home, in traffic, while studying or at a party, our attention is constantly being bombarded by numerous stimuli coming from both our environment and from our ever-vibrant minds.
What happens when we multitask?
Doing fewer things or isolating ourselves is usually not an option. Therefore, under pressure, we make mistakes, find it hard to change habits, become stressed and angry, and gradually harm our well-being, health and relationships. Psychological studies and data from around the world constantly show that what people usually think about multitasking in general, and about their own multitaasking behavior, is covered with myths and mistakes.
Oded Zohar has been studying this interdisciplinary subject for over ten years, through cognitive science, neuropsychology, yoga and zen-buddhism, and addresses it using a unique, vivid and experiential method – The Art of Juggling.
Juggling?
People refer to juggling as a metaphor for multitasking. In fact, juggling real objects and juggling tasks, thoughts or attractions do have a lot in common, and involve similar mechanisms in our brains, so that when we juggle we experience the same bottle-necks, emotions and behaviors as in our daily multitasking situations. Juggling not only illustrates what multitasking is, but also allows a fresh perspective and a path to discuss practical coping mechanisms – personal and organizational.
Knowing the theory may be interesting, but being it… thats a whole different experience.