COMMENT
Whoever says they can multitask is lying. Including the age old myth which says women can multitask. Doing fifty four errands all at once is impossible. Scientifically backed researched has proven itself that the mind is just not developed to run multiple tasks all at once with an impeccable quality of output. There will unarguably be a compromise in the characteristic of the results being produced. Speaking on the phone and reviewing and or signing proposals- that’s a job half done on both fronts and the perpetrators of this act are simply fooling themselves. I can already sense it in my imagination the many readers who are guilty of this act!
So it turns out that the disease of being totally immersed in several things at a time is made worse through the use of technology. In particular is the greatest demon, the small gadget in our palms, which has hijacked the human element out of all social interactions.
People at work speak to each other whilst making eye contact with their phone screens. Colleagues listen to each other’s stories on a superficial level before getting distracted at every ping and ding that their smart phones buzz out.
At the end of the day when we get home, we are half listening to our spouses or kids’ narratives with the other half of us engaged with our smart devices. To top it all, the use of social media on our phones and the numerous apps download options does make temptation easy to fall prey to. There is too much happening in this world around us. I have many friends and acquaintances who prefer to speak with hands free gadgets while driving and the important thing I note about human brain’s brilliance is the ability, that they reach their ‘own’ homes, while doing this.
Even after stepping out of the office, we are connected to work. The emails chase us till we lose consciousness in bed and then we wake up to the vibrating phone spilling out all the emails. What a curse in some ways! Sometimes one wonders what peaceful life was, when we weren’t wired up at all. Albeit it also provokes the thought - How did we ever kill time when there were no cell phones to begin with?
This piece is not however on technology bashing but instead to plant a mindfulness seed- an antidote to a world that is totally wired 24/7. Some people find the whole ‘mindfulness’ idea a total mumbo jumbo and think it is an idyllic philosophy invented by some dope infested-happy- go-lucky consultants to mint quick bucks. But to the contrary it has now become a million dollar industry. The idea is now embraced by many organisations in the fortune 500 list. People are gradually waking up to the reality that it is worth investing some time and effort in.
Although this concept has been there for long, but it is now hitting the technology infested shores much faster as we see human demise at the altar of device addiction. The notion of mindfulness is about being present in the present moment. Applying laser focus to the matter at hand and offering the courtesy of your full attention. No pings and dings bothering you in the process. Often colleagues at work are typing out emails and then they say, ‘yep I am all ears’- that is so untrue. They are not. Putting on our listening ears with a hundred percent focus is actually part of being present in the moment.
In today’s day and age it is hard and for some almost impossible to sit still at some place say at the beach or in the park or even in a restaurant and resist the urge to reach out to your phone but just observe your surroundings. Sounds scary to many people. Many feel insecure and inadequate. Some would even feel secretly denuded in their heads at this bizarre thought.
In reality this is what the concept of mindfulness trains you on. Being totally aware and present in the actual moment. To flex this muscle, there are many pathways to take. One of them being really simple, next time when you sit down at the table for your morning cup of tea, totally fight the temptation to open the morning paper or flick through the television channels. Definitely throw away that phone of yours out of sight and simply concentrate on sipping your coffee or tea and actually taste the flavours with each sip. Does the mere thought give you palpitations? To many people it may sound impossible. Having tea and doing nothing, basically actually focusing on chewing of your cereals and thinking about how it tastes! As crazy as it sounds, this is one of the first steps towards training your mind for mindfulness.
The entire philosophy encompasses many action steps. One of them is meditating. Finding a few minutes at some point of your day when you sit somewhere quiet just by yourself and think nothing but just focus on your breathing. There could be wandering thoughts floating in your head but the trick is to bring your mind back to focus on your breathing.
Adopting yoga is one of the other ways to totally be in the moment and focusing on your activity there. For some it could be even praying and instead of thinking about your ‘to-do’ list during your act of praying actually focus on the words you are uttering and the significance of your noble act. Mindfulness encompasses removing yourself from the web of events and situations and going for a ten minutes stroll. And need I say that leave that phone behind! No one will die in ten minutes unless you work for the fire department or are an ambulance driver!
All these simple habits will impact your productivity and ability to focus fully on ‘one’ task at hand whilst maintaining quality. Rather than being a mindless robot with eight octopus hands and a demented half brain. So next time when a colleague says that I need to chat, look up from your computer, pause, “make eye contact” and say ‘give me a few seconds to complete this email whilst you take a seat’. Go back to completing your email and swivel your chair around. Turn your attention to the co-worker, make eye contact and there you go. And don’t reach out to the ringing phones or the text message beep.
Being mindful is all about introducing these tiny changes at work and at home. During a meeting just discuss your ideas and not be tempted to keep checking your phones every ten minutes. But pay attention to the issue at that given moment and endeavour to resolve it.
I would be keen to hear about how that morning tea tasted without the paper, the television and the pest of a phone invading your space!
The writer is a senior banker and freelance columnist
