I will not apply for jobs that say 'Must be good at multitasking'

I am currently taking vocational training and plan to start looking for a job around autumn.

I often see the phrase 'Must be good at multitasking' in job advertisements. I will no longer apply for these.

I used to think it was better to be able to 'multitask'.

I worked for nearly 20 years at a workplace where I was entrusted with various tasks, and thanks to that, I gained a lot of experience.

But looking back now, I think the burden on my mind and body was significant.

It is not that multitasking is bad, but I feel it did not suit my nature or my life stage at the time.

【My nature】
・I try to respond immediately when a sudden request comes in
→Simultaneous tasks keep increasing

・I cannot say no when asked for help
→I cannot say NO, so tasks keep increasing

・I end up working during breaks and on my days off
→I am bad at switching off

【Life stage】
Housework and childcare are difficult while raising children
→No time to rest even at home

The only time I would rest was when my body stopped moving. I realized that if I kept repeating this, it was no wonder I would break my health.

What the Pomodoro timer taught me

My vocational training classes are held online. I can watch the lecture videos at my convenience, but I must meet the weekly viewing time requirements.

There is an exam after every session, so I cannot slack off on watching the videos. However, there are times when I cannot maintain my concentration.

So, to work hard for a long time by taking effective breaks, I started studying using a Pomodoro timer. 25 minutes of concentration, 5 minutes of rest.

I am still in the middle of verifying how long I can maintain my concentration.

The other day, my smartphone notification went off while I was studying. It was a message from another student in the group chat used for vocational training, asking if someone could take over their in-person class schedule.

I felt I could handle it, so I wanted to reply immediately. But I was in the middle of a concentration period. I thought, 'I will contact them when it is break time,' and continued studying.

Setting aside the feeling of being concerned and returning to the task in front of me. Thanks to the Pomodoro timer, I was able to 'set it aside'.

When I checked during my break, someone else had already responded, and the matter was settled.

At that moment, I felt a small sense of accomplishment for prioritizing my own time, but for some reason, a sense of guilt remained.

I hadn't done anything wrong, yet I felt guilty for not replying immediately.

I realized that this is how I have been responding to urgent requests until now, just to avoid feeling guilty.

When multitasking, the number of things to think about at any given time increases, which causes stress. It also takes energy to deal with all of them.

To avoid increasing my own tasks, I should devise a system to create an environment where I can focus on one thing at a time.

Meeting others' expectations can be done one by one, in order, after my own tasks are finished.

I realized that this is the kind of practice I need.

Of course, if there is an urgent matter at work, I will raise its priority, but usually, it turns out that most things can wait a little while without any issues.

And from now on, when I look at job postings, I have decided to avoid these kinds of conditions in my case. Because I will end up trying too hard to accommodate them.

・Must be good at multitasking
・Small, homey workplace
・Handle a wide range of duties
・Must be able to work independently

These are exactly the kinds of workplaces I have worked in until now. Since I am still raising children, in order to work while taking care of myself (which equals taking care of my family), I think...

・Child-rearing generation active
・Team-based
・Clear division of labor
・Manuals provided
・Sudden time off is okay

...these kinds of job conditions might be a better fit for me.

Just having the peace of mind that 'even if I am not there, it won't cause any trouble' lightens the burden on my heart.

Come to think of it, when I worked part-time at a call center before, I worked as one of many incoming call staff. I didn't feel much guilt when I took time off.

That was because my absence didn't stall operations, as there were many other staff members. I remembered that.

I realized that I should change my work to match my physical condition, personality, and life stage at that time.

By the way, the reason I was able to work in such workplaces for 20 years is because the people were good. Everyone at the workplace was a good person, and it was certainly homey.

I no longer have the stamina to meet the demands of multitasking.

Both at work and in my private life, I intend to avoid multitasking from now on, lighten the load on my mind as much as possible, and take things easy.

I am tackling panic disorder from five different angles. As part of one of those, 'managing mental load,' I have written this time about avoiding multitasking.

I have written in detail about the other four pillars in this article.

If you found this helpful or relatable, I would be happy if you could click the 'like' button. May we all be able to increase our calm moments, even just a little bit!