In a day and age where multiple tasks, screens and assignments try to steal our attention and we pride ourselves in multitasking; we need to try instead to live more mindfully and focus on one thing at a time. Not only will each task be completed more efficiently and calmly, but there are many health, mental and emotional benefits to living this way.

Here’s a few tips to live more mindfully

1.     Switch your phone to airplane mode while working

When you need to tackle an assignment, article or report at work; try switching your phone to airplane mode to resist the urge to constantly respond to social media notifications. You will find you’ll be able to focus a lot more and get the task done quicker and more effectively.

2. Do one thing at a time

According to a study from the University of Sussex where the brains of high multitaskers were analyzed, it was found that multitasking can in fact damage the brain.  So not only does multitasking have the ability to make us feel more rushed and stressed, brains are shown to have less brain density in the anterior cingulate cortex (region responsible for cognitive and emotional control). So, when the kettle is boiling, just take the time to be still and listen to the sound. While waiting in a queue for coffee, resist the urge to check emails and just be. One thing at a time!

3. Assign designated times to check emails and social media.

Be intentional about the time you spend in your inbox. Replying to emails can literally take up an entire day, every day so you need to set aside time to reply and send emails during the day. So the rest of your hours are spent being productive and completing urgent tasks. Turn off your social media notifications and only check your channels at certain times of day. Not every free moment you get. This can lead to information overload where you struggle to focus again thereafter.

4. Embrace Boredom

In the age of instant gratification, the ability to buy anything we need with a touch of a button; we never really take the time to be still, do nothing and get bored. Try break the habit of multitasking and just wash the dishes, sit and watch the birds outside your window, make a salad and just focus on the sound of the chopping. Allow yourself to be bored and notice the sounds, sensations and feeling of doing nothing

5. Make lists and journal

I find when I make a to-do list at the start of the day, I’m not mentally making those lists throughout the day and trying to recall and amend them. I can relax into what I am aiming to do and get on with it. Journaling at the end of a day is a great way to take stock of what you’ve done, experienced and setting intentions and small goals for the next day. It clears the mind before bed, sets you free of things you didn’t quite get to and allows you to remember that tomorrow is another day.

Join us on a ‘Whole Me’ Ajo Retreat in Zanzibar or Cape Town this year and leave refreshed and re-energized with tips on mindfulness, slowing down and perhaps a better way to live.