Once upon a  time, multi-tasking was a badge of honor. The more tasks you can do at the same time, the more impressive you seem to be. But now, we all know the multi-tasking myth. Try task switching instead. That’s when you transition from one task to the next.

Here are 8 tips to help you master task switching:

1. Write it down – what were you doing when you were interrupted or distracted? Write it down so that you can pick up where you left off and easily resume your work. 
2. Edit yourself – take away distractions and major time suckers. The usual are: social media, emails, youtube, apps. But there are hidden distractions too like visual clutter, and if you work from home, the bed and fridge may be pitfalls too.
3. Rank ‘em up – discuss your priorities with your boss so that you both know what needs to get done as a matter of importance. If you work independently, write down your tasks and rank them according to importance. Knowing which tasks are important by ranking them, encourages you to focus on the crucial tasks and respond appropriately to distractions.
4. Schedule communications – make those phone calls and emails at a scheduled time rather than waiting for others to reach out to you spontaneously when they are most likely to interrupt your workflow.
5. To-Do lists are gold – think of them as bookmarks, goal posts, or milestones  that will help you switch (instead of multitask) and not lose your focus. They also serve as a running log of accomplishments which in turn will help motivate you to finish more tasks.
6. Have a routine – create a signal for starting deep work or switching to a new task. For example, you can do shoulder rolls when you’re switching from answering emails to doing research work. Or you can take 5-min pomodoro breaks when switching from one task to another. Some people do jumping jacks before they lock in to a “focus” task, I water my home office plants before I switch to a concentrated task. 
7. Celebrate your wins – start by noticing when you are able to successfully switch tasks instead of doing multiple tasks at the same time. Recognition is the first step to cutting the multitasking habit. Then once you finish a task, celebrate by getting a drink or a snack or listening to a song, getting some coffee or just getting up and going outside for a break.
8. Set yourself up for success – batch your task by similar characteristics – same skill set, same resources, same amount of time it will take to finish, etc. By batching similar tasks, you help your brain transition smoothly through tasks by reducing the mental resources needed to shift from one kind of work to another.

Does multitasking work for you? Have you tried task switching? What are your task switching tips? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp