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Multitasking vs. Quality Work

By Natalie Feinblum

    According to Time Magazine, Multitasking is a great skill; but unfortunately it is causing more and more health problems in the U.S. Zipping around day-to-day doing this and doing that isn’t healthy.  More people are suffering form panic attacks because they are overstressed due to multitasking 24/7; however, multitasking can be a great tool when used properly.
   Believe it or not, people have multitasked every day since they were born.  Do you remember when you were a little kid how many times you sat in front of the TV and played with your favorite toy at the same time?  It wasn’t obvious when one was that little but when he/she stops and thinks about it, it’s true. Multitasking has been drilled into our heads since we were babies, but research studies show that side effects include: impatience, irritability and some inefficiency.
   By now every modern office worker - from the mailroom clerk to the CEO- know that “the gadgets designed to lighten our loads also ensnare us.”  The January 2006 edition of Time magazine states, “The dinging digital device that allow us to connect communicate so readily also disrupt our work, our thoughts and what little is left of our private lives.”  Many have heard about attention deficit disorder. Due to these so-called   helpful devices, a super flues amount of people are being diagnosed with attention deficit trait (ADT).  ADT takes hold when people get so overloaded with incoming messages and completing tasks that they are unable to prioritize. The result is not only distractibility, impulsiveness and haste, but also feelings of guilt and inadequacy.   People think they have to sleep less and work harder and stay later and the office.  This addiction is rampant.
   According to Time Magazine , “ It’s no wonder so many of us succumb to the panicky feeling that we can’t keep pace with workplace demands.  A series of new studies that examined the modern, multitasking worker show that the constant splintering and diversion of our attention wastes time and money. In a study of 1,000 office workers from the top and managers on down, Basex, an information technology research firm in New Your City found that interruptions now consume an average of 2.1 hours a day, or 28% of the workday. The two hours lost productivity included not only unemployment interruptions and distractions but also the recovery time associated with getting back on task, according to a Basex report.”
   Time continues, “ of course, not all interruptions are created equal.  Some are related to the job at hand and may be helpful –if not to the individual, then maybe to the team. Some are unrelated but nonetheless welcome: the Basex report found that 62% of workers at all levels said being interrupted by a friend with a none business-related question was acceptable. Few people take even the most basic steps to reduce work place interruption. In the Basex study, 55% of workers surveyed said they open e-mail immediately or shortly after it arrives, no matter how busy they are.
   Not all multitasking is bad, but it costs our country a lot of money every year. So if everyone slows down and takes time out to do a better job than just finishing tons of things at once, our health and our economy will improve.
   For most QHS students it’s not work, but rather homework that often suffers as a result of multitasking. Doing homework, listening to music, talking on the phone, and chatting online all at the same time affects the quality of the students work.  Each time one is interrupted or distracted, he/she loses train of thought.  A higher levels of thinking takes time and concentration; interruptions do effect work. Grades drop and students fall behind in school, and could even end up dropping out of school all together.  So next time you are doing tons of things at once stop and think about how good of a job  you are really doing? See if you can’t improve your work by turning a few programs or electric devices off.

Top Five Stress Relieving Activities

By Jacob Walke

1.Breathing Exercises

If you find yourself in a great deal of stress (as many high school students do) taking a deep breath or series of deep breaths. This may help you relax as well as “wake up” your brain.

2.Meditation Exercises

Building on the deep breathing method, meditating allows the brain to enter a tranquil almost unconscious state of being that in turn allows one to temporarily forget the problems of everyday malarkey.

3.Massage

Your sense of touch is highly related to your state of mind, this affects ones well-being. Releasing tension and reducing stress is vital for ones mental state.

4.Music Therapy

Music can be a remedy. Music has proved to have many health benefits such as a lowered blood pressure and relaxed state of body as well as mind.

5.Yoga

Yoga is an old-school relaxing method dating back over five thousand years! Yoga combines a mixture of several methods such as breathing exercises, meditation, imagery, and of course movement.

Source: generaltechniques.com

ABOVE: Greenville High seniors, Tarah Heggins and Jennifer Whipple at a theme park on the Up. Senior trip







Left: Kyle Crabtree, Mike Wark, Amber Downey, Rachel Davis, Kinderlin Mannies, and Chris Scoars getting ready for the dance at State.

The Upward bound seniors got to got to Marine World for the day… and meet Shouka







Mike Wark, Rachel Davis, and Chris Scoars, at the Your Grand Entrance Convention.