Maria Goretti’s post on multitasking is a lesson for anyone who wants mental peace

Your fingers type away that email furiously, as you down a cup of strong black coffee every hour. At the same time, you answer those incessant phone calls and handle both personal and professional responsibilities. Welcome to a world that is forever in an always-on mode, where there is hardly any time to stand and stare. While you may be proud of your multitasking skills, it’s something that can reduce your efficiency, and impact your physical and mental health.

Former VJ-turned-chef Maria Goretti also shared how she doesn’t want to multitask anymore, in her recent social media post. Here’s what she wrote, “Choose what you need and see it through with love. Give it your all and then take another step, in harmony.”

She puts across her thoughts succinctly when she talks about chasing perfection and want everything in order all the time. “If I don’t clean that extra drawer today or if my pillow is not plumped up, my many emails I have not yet opened, if I don’t have all my ducks in a row. It’s not going to make a difference, actually, life will still go on.”

Instead, Maria chooses to multitask with her feelings, and be more kind, helpful, and patient.

Should we also slow down? Why is it so? Let’s find out in this piece why multitasking is a bad idea.

1. It slows you down

Well, you may believe all that you want that you are getting better at what you do, but NO! You become slower with time, because your brain can only handle a finite amount of information. Here’s something to testify to that claim: in a 2008 University of Utah study, drivers took longer to reach their destinations when they chatted on cell phones.

2. It stresses you out

The next time you are doing several tasks at once, notice your stress levels touching the roof. As per research conducted by the University of California, the heart rates of a set of corporate employees were measured with and without constant access to office email. It was found that those who received emails all the time were always in high alert mode, and had higher heart rates. The ones who didn’t do as much multitasking had lower stress levels.

Take a look at Maria’s Instagram post!

3. You are missing out on life

You may believe that you are living the life, but that’s an illusion. Instead, those who do two things at a time don’t see things right before their eyes, says a 2009 study by the Western Washington University. The study called this ‘inattentional blindness’, a scenario in which you are looking at something, but do not register it in your brain

4. It may affect your memory

Are you shocked? For instance, if you are doing two things at a time, you will miss out on certain details. And when you interrupt one task to focus on another suddenly, you disturb your short-term memory, according to a 2011 study. So ladies, exercise caution and smell the coffee!

As Maria says it rightly, in her post, “Don’t worry, what is yours, will not go away … Hold each other up, adjust each other’s crowns, and don’t forget the most important one, you.”