Make a task more difficult

one of the reasons multitasking is so tempting is not because we’re breaking off to do something that’s more important or urgent – checking Facebook is rarely urgent – but because we find the task we’re doing dull so our brain starts searching for some other entertainment. but if we can stay focused on the task in hand, we’ll enter a “flow” state – this is when we start to feel calm and deeply happy. “time flies in this state – it’s like being ‘in the zone’ in sport,” says Crabbe.

so how do we go from mindlessly flicking through tV channels while folding the laundry to reaching peak “flow”? the trick is to make the prime task more difficult – and therefore more interesting. so, for example, if you’re bathing your child, use this time to tell them a story. or when you’re folding the laundry you could set yourself a challenge of folding 30 items in five minutes. make sure you allocate enough time to do each task properly, and finish before you start something new. then you can bask in the satisfaction of completing one job really well.

✢ Do IT! Make a list of the activities you “sleepwalk” through, whether that’s driving to work or eating meals, and commit to doing these things with intention.