We are expected to accomplish a great deal in today's 24/7 world.
Multitasking has become a byword for success these days. We scan the Internet while talking on the phone, then get interrupted by call-waiting. We make cell phone calls to schedule appointments when caught in traffic. We text message friends while standing in line at the bank. While waiting for dinner to cook, we help kids with their math and jot down a list of things to do the next day. The myth that multitasking works has never been stronger.
Managing two mental tasks at once reduces the brainpower available for either task, according to a study published in the journal NeuroImage. Up to 30 percent of U.S. automobile crashes are caused by driver distractions involving mobile communication devices.
Understand that you can choose to do several things at the same time, but know that you are kidding yourself if you think you can do them without cost. People who multitask are actually less efficient than those who focus on one project at a time, according to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology. There is also the possibility that others above you will view your behavior as easily distractible and inconsistent.
Burnout is a familiar term these days: it's the physical or emotional exhaustion that results from long-term stress or frustration. Chronic fatigue is a major symptom of burnout: one feels physically, emotionally and spiritually exhausted. Behaviorally, the burnout worker becomes cynical, indifferent and increasingly ineffective in the job.
According to Herbert J. Freudenberger, the New York psychologist who coined the term in 1972, burnout describes a specific condition. It is an emotional state characterized by an overwhelming and enduring feeling of exhaustion or aggravation. Burnout is a condition that develops gradually as the person's creativity and effectiveness erode into fatigue, skepticism and an inability to function productively.
Burnout is costly to both the individual and the organization
For the individual, burnout can lead to poor decision-making and a drop in work quality, productivity and morale. Studies show that the individuals most likely to develop burnout are well-educated, self-motivated and attracted to demanding jobs where the risks and rewards are high. This person is also the type who enjoys fostering change and adds value to a business.
For the organization, costs include higher medical costs, increased employee turnover and higher absenteeism. It is estimated that in the United States more than half of the 550 million working days lost each year to absenteeism are stress-related.
Source: John Agno: When Doing It All Won't Do: A Self-Coaching Guide for Career Women
