Making Mind-Wandering Part of Your Multitasking Routine

Multitasking—the much sought-after skill that enables us to simultaneously fulfill multiple roles and responsibilities throughout the course of a single day—may actually be stifling our creativity. The Wall Street Journal blog “The Juggle” reports that this is because the working memory and executive control required to multitask inhibit the “cognitive processes” that give rise to “light-bulb moments.” The blog cites a 2012 study conducted at the University of Illinois, Chicago titled “Working Memory Capacity, Attentional Focus, and Problem Solving,” which argues that when we are too focused, the “diffuse, open-thinking” needed to develop “new approaches and novel connections” is stymied, 

So multitaskers, pay attention: You must now make time in your daily routine to daydream, exercise, and let your mind wander. For an inspirational how-to, check out WSJ’s “Tactics to Spark Creativity.” Research-supported suggestions include performing simple, routine tasks, gazing at the color green, tackling problems at off-peak times, taking a walk, having a drink, watching funny videos, and the infamous looking out the window.

Keywords: woman advocate, litigation, multitasking, creativity

_{Joanne Geha Swanson works at Kerr, Russell and Weber, PLC in Detroit, Michigan}

_{Copyright © 2016, American Bar Association. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or downloaded or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of the American Bar Association. The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of the American Bar Association, the Section of Litigation, this committee, or the employer(s) of the author(s).}