Thanks to technological advances, most of us are tempted to do more things all at once. With practice, you can improve your multitasking skills — but too much has been shown to increase stress.

People tend to believe that multitasking allows them to be more efficient.

But in reality, the brain is less efficient when you attempt to perform several tasks at the same time.

One reason for this is that it takes time for the brain to switch focus from one task to another, and doing so increases error rates significantly.

The first step is to be mindful and catch yourself when you slip back into the habit of multitasking.

Try simply turning off your devices and setting aside regular time to focus on single tasks.

You may find that you get more done with less mental effort and reduced stress.

I find it helpful to dedicate some time every morning and afternoon to catch up on my email correspondence so I don’t feel the stress of trying keep up with it throughout the day.