Mashing (aka as multi tasking aka adult ADD) is when we do more than one thing at once, and this has become our way of life, mostly as we’re so damn busy and our attention spans have become so unbearably short.
Driving the car while checking emails = mashing.
Lying in bed whilst chatting to our partner whilst checking Pinterest = mashing.
Talking to our kids whilst checking Instagram whilst paying for the groceries = mashing.
Relaxing in the sun, whilst reading a mag, whilst flicking through Facebook = mashing.
Cooking dinner, listening to music, on a phone call and half way through shoving a load of washing into the washing machine = mashing.
Taking a work phone call whilst on an exercise walk and then sending ourselves a ‘reminder’ email to take care of it later whilst we continue to walk = mashing.
Mashing robs us of actually experiencing what is happening. It means we are never quite present and that we cannot pick up on the subtleties of each moment. Our instinct never really kicks in as we’re never quite listening and we move from task to moment to task in a blur.
Did you know that when you are on your phone in your car your skills match those of a drunk driver? Errors increase astronomically when you multitask as your attention is so divided. And if you didn’t have the time to get it right the first time how will you find the time to re-do it the second or third?
ACTION
Catch yourself doing it and cut it out. Come to terms with the fact that you will never really do anything properly if you do it all at once. Live in the moment, doing one thing at a time and give it all your attention.