“Trying to do everything at once means failing at everything.”

Not a coincidence: headaches are more likely if you’re stressed

In a study in 2018, headache patients were asked which events commonly trigger their pain. Three-quarters of respondents ranked stress first, followed by "irregular meals" and "not drinking enough." These answers confirm the massive increase in stress-related health problems observed by doctors and social scientists in recent decades. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the impact of job stress and stress in general, even calling it “the health epidemic of the 21st century.” So clearly, slowing down life’s pace will help combat the impact of stress and reduce stress-related health risks.

So much to do, so little time

People deal with it differently, but it’s the same everywhere: time pressures and mental turmoil are on the rise in our everyday lives. Many of us complain about having no time and being under stress. We feel inadequate and unable to keep up with things. The pace of life is getting faster for everyone, everywhere: at work, at home, even at play. Making the best use of your time has become a moral obligation. If you refuse, you have to justify yourself.

Constantly on the run

There is a widespread belief that you save time by filling every moment of your day with activity. At work and everywhere else. Less and less time is allocated for an intended result. ‘Speed dating’ – originally about finding a romantic relationship – is now common in many areas of work and life, including conferences, trade fairs and job agencies. People talk and exchange contact information for a couple of minutes, then move on to the next person. Life’s faster pace has given rise to the expectation that you can do many things at once – or multitask, as it’s called.

Multitasking – is it a useful tool, or are we just fooling ourselves?

Multitasking means doing more than one task at the same time. At one time, it was considered the ideal way to be more productive. But that is not true, according to a number of research studies where volunteers were asked to multitask and researchers observed the effects. In one very carefully designed study, researchers found that people who were experienced multitaskers performed the set of tasks worse than people who were not. The experienced multitaskers found it harder to ignore unimportant details and focus on the important information. "They're distracted all the time," one scientist said of the experienced multitaskers, who had been expected to do very well but actually did worse.

A neuroscientist, Henning Beck, once put it this way: "Multitasking is an impossibility for the brain. You can practice all you want.” So if you talk on the phone and write an email at the same time, your brain manages by constantly switching back and forth between the two activities. Far from saving time, multitasking does the very opposite, Beck says: “It doesn’t save time. You’re not doing any of the activities right. Jumping back and forth between tasks is too much work for your brain. The difference is measurable. When you multitask, you make more mistakes, and you waste energy.” No wonder trying to do too many things at once gives you a headache. It’s because your brain is overwhelmed.

Shifting down a gear helps

Many people have problems coping with the hectic frenzy of modern life. Recurring headache, poor concentration and indigestion are common signs. Research shows that stress can also increase your risk of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure. The common denominator in all these issues is constant stress – sometimes triggered by external factors, but often internal. And therein lies the key to recovery. Take it down a notch, de-compress, don’t overload yourself.

Start by taking baby steps to win back control over your time. Consider the amount of work you have to do and how you need to schedule it. Block a realistic period of time for each upcoming project. We know from the science that multitasking is not productive, so avoid tackling multiple projects at once. Regular breaks are part of your workday. They are not a waste of time. In fact, they help clear your head and make you more productive.

A few little changes in your leisure time activities can make all the difference and help you relax. If you have to wait in line, don’t feel you have to spend every second checking your phone and answering emails. Your brain will thank you for a little time off from the constant barrage of photos, videos, news and trivia. And: you really need to get out more often! A short spell in the fresh air, a stroll in the park, doing an errand on foot – all these little things help you relax, clear your head and banish headaches.

If you take a close look at your schedule, you will almost certainly notice ingrained habits that use up a lot more of your time and concentration than they deserve. Getting rid of some of them will detox your day in a significant way.

The big rethink

Some employers are starting to introduce policies to counteract the effects of our fast-paced world. When you think of the amount of time people take off work because of stress-related illness, it makes good sense. Some companies are now limiting previously unlimited employee access to business email accounts to stop them from working far into the night. Apparently some people need saving from themselves.

Policies like these are part of a larger social rethink. For more and more people, quality of life means more than earning and spending money. They want to choose how they spend their time on earth, a reasonable pace of life and mindfulness in how they treat themselves and others. A slower-paced life means less stress. And less room for headaches.Nehmen wir den eigenen Tagesablauf unter die Lupe, kommen wir fast zwangsläufig eingefahrenen Abläufen auf die Spur, die uns mehr Zeit und Konzentration abverlangen als ihnen zusteht. Vermeidet man einige davon, lässt sich der Alltag spürbar entschlacken.