Tag Archives: multitasking

Does Multitasking Truly Work?

LilacsResearchers, including MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) neuroscientist Earl Miller, are finding that multitasking simply doesn’t work!  In a post by Daniel J. Levitin, Miller says that our brains are

not wired to multitask well. . .When people think they’re multitasking, they’re actually just switching from one task to another very rapidly.  And every time they do, there’s a cognitive cost in doing so.”

Levitin calls multitasking “a powerful and diabolical illusion.”  His article includes more information from Miller and other researchers about multitasking.  As we switch from one task to another, we ignore the task that is not our primary focus, but it stays in the back of our head, as we worry that “it will come crashing down any minute.”  Not focusing entirely on the task at hand makes us less efficient, studies have shown.

As if this isn’t enough, “multitasking has been found to increase the production of the stress hormone cortisol as well as the fight-or-flight hormone adrenaline, which can overstimulate your brain and cause mental fog or scrambled thinking,” Levitin writes.  It also creates a dopamine effect that rewards our brains for losing focus, and we continue to search for external stimulation when it’s not needed.  He continues:

The irony here for those of us who are trying to focus amid competing activities is clear: the very brain region we need to rely on for staying on task is easily distracted.

Click for Levitin’s full in-depth article, Why the modern world is bad for your brain.

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/nshdkoh, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Mindfulness in Librarianship

Image by bibigeek. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons' licensing.
Image by bibigeek. Retrieved from Flickr. Used under Creative Commons’ licensing.

In an earlier post, I mentioned a thread of  programming at the fall MLA Conference about mindfulness and reflective thinking, as it relates to librarians.  This idea keeps coming back to me. From a review of the literature, and from conversations with librarians embracing mindfulness, I believe it has value to our practice. Professional and personal growth can increase if we slow down and take the time to understand mindfulness.  A few key things to consider about this concept include: 

  • If we embrace a state of being aware, focused and present in the moment, we can reduce job-related stress and improve the quality of  library services.
  • Multitasking is finally being questioned, and not necessarily valued as it was in the past.
  • “Monkey-mind syndrome” describes a state of being where thoughts continually flit in and out of our minds. This is often caused by too much multitasking or by  continually shifting gears or changing priorities without tools to manage it.
  • In MLA president Kristen Mastel’s article about mindful librarianship (see end of post), she talks about “beginner’s mind” and the challenges of achieving  beginners mind. As you may guess, it is harder to achieve this state when you have been in positions for long periods of time.
  • Mindfulness can be used anywhere or anytime, making it the ultimate mobile device!

As we embark on the 23 Mobile Things program in mid-January, CMLE staff will  inject a mindfulness thread in the program, to help participants manage their focus and enhance their learning outcomes.

Mastel ends her article by saying, “Mindful librarianship—practiced with awareness, intention, and open mind, and a spirit of compassion—could make the difference in the success of our students, our profession, and ourselves. Read the full article: Insights and Practical Tips on Practicing Mindful Librarianship to Manage Stress