The Lost Art of Doing One Thing at a Time

“Have you seen the bubble room?” I stood in that spectacular corner of the high-rise building with an impressive view of the city below. I took pictures to remember the place. But as I walked away, I wondered if I had given myself enough time to appreciate the view myself. I couldn’t say.

In lives that sometimes seem to try to spin faster than the planet, multitasking is a given. Whether in pursuit of productivity metrics at work or crossing every task off of a personal to-do list, the aim of negotiating multiple responsibilities has a way of insinuating itself way into our lives. Is this juggling approach preferable? Common sense might say yes, but research suggests otherwise.

One field study found that multitasking interfered with flow states and performance (Jeong and Hwang, 2016). Other investigations have found that dual focus can activate our stress systems (Becker et al., 2023). Over time, intensive multitasking, as with media usage, may increase susceptibility to mental health challenges like anxiety and depression (Becker et al., 2013).

One Mind at a Time

So, how can we re-embrace the lost art of doing one thing at a time? It is as simple as it sounds, but not necessarily easy in practice.

Often, we are divided even in our thoughts, moving from one idea to the next.

In dialectical behavioral therapy, a core feature of mindfulness is doing something “one-mindfully” (Linehan, 2015). One-mindedness is the quality of focusing on one task at a time, even if this means redirecting ourselves over and over like we would a hyperactive puppy.

When spending time with others, taking time to genuinely attend to the person we are with rather than giving in to distraction frees us to listen more effectively, enhancing the relationship. On the contrary, poor listening satisfaction (often resulting from multitasking) is one of the strongest factors in the dissolution of marriages and partnerships (Salazar and Nguyen, 2019).

Where to Start

Giving up on a lifelong habit of multitasking immediately is not realistic. Yet, practicing the art of doing one thing at a time can take place through activities as small as listening to a song, holding an in-person conversation with no technology present, or enjoying a cup of tea.

If you find this difficult, you are not alone! As a society, we are in a sort of multitasking crisis. Yet, with training, it is possible to build this skill.

Closing

In a productivity-obsessed culture, multitasking is everywhere. The accessibility of smartphones, social media, and other devices only enhances the phenomenon. Yet the reality is that doing more than one thing at once can decrease our performance, interfere with flow states/creativity, and have adverse mental health consequences. Taking brief moments to focus on one thing, whether manifested through listening to birdsong, doing a specific work-related task, or even writing a blog post, can allow us to strengthen the muscle of mindfulness.