Weekly Quick Collage: Java Girl, and Some Unrelated Thoughts

I can't believe how long it's been since I posted! Time has just flown by, and I'm feeling like I can't keep up with it. I'm also thinking that maybe it's not good to try to do so many things at once, which is what I do when I feel I'm getting behind. I've been seeing a lot of  studies that show that our brains weren't designed for multi-tasking, and that it not only leads to poorer quality work, but that it actually negatively impacts our ability to concentrate and retain information. For

example:

"You’ve likely heard that multitasking is problematic, but new studies show that it kills your performance and may even damage your brain.
Research conducted at Stanford University found that multitasking is less productive than doing a single thing at a time. The researchers also found that people who are regularly bombarded with several streams of electronic information cannot pay attention, recall information, or switch from one job to another as well as those who complete one task at a time." (Travis Bradbury, Forbes)

 Java Girl

 collage, 9.5 x 2.5 inches

 Every study I could find said virtually the same thing; in fact, I could find nothing that contradicted this conclusion. So why, I wondered, does everyone think multi-tasking is so great? Does it just make us feel that we're getting more done? I think that's the case; it's an illusion created by the act of running around like chickens with their heads cut off (sorry, it's not a nice image, but that's the expression we use around here), thinking we're getting things done when we're only getting them halfway done, and probably not very well at that. We feel 'stressed out', frustrated and overwhelmed. Here's an even scarier quote from the article about the Stanford study:
"Research also shows that, in addition to slowing you down, multitasking lowers your IQ. A study at the University of London found that participants who multitasked during cognitive tasks experienced IQ score declines that were similar to what they’d expect if they had smoked marijuana or stayed up all night. IQ drops of 15 points for multitasking men lowered their scores to the average range of an 8-year-old child."

 So you're wondering, probably, what this all has to do with the "Java Girl". Well, nothing, really, except that the drawing of the girl came from a book published in the 1800's. She was just carrying her basket of whatever to wherever it had to go. Not multi-tasking. Probably not feeling much pressure, at least not comparable to what we all feel in our modern, electronics-filled, 'rush to get everything done now' lives.

So I have resolved to try to live in a different way, to be nicer to my brain and my frayed nerves. This seems like a better way to approach life, especially since I suffer from chronic depression and an anxiety disorder. I will use the same strategies that I used with my special education students when I was teaching - task analysis; break tasks down into smaller parts. Do them one at a time. Set time limits for how long I'll work on a particular activity. Take breaks. Maybe if we all just treated ourselves like special education students, our lives would feel more manageable, and we would find more peace.

 Namaste, everyone! May you find the peace within you.