Minimising Context Switching

In burlesque we are often our own promoters, admin, costumiers, choreographers, photographers, drivers, planners, makeup artist, hair stylist, wig stylist and more. This requires us to be able to context switch at any given moment, especially if you add a day job onto that mental load. So much research has gone into how context switching is bad for productivity, motivation and mental health. It's how we end up mentally exhausted at the end of a day without feeling like we have actually achieved much. Research suggests that simultaneously working on two tasks can reduce productivity by 20%, and this increases to 40% when working on three tasks. 

40%. Not to mention that it also correlates with an increase in making errors. Ever, sent an email for a casting and realised you forgot to add an attachment because you were applying when killing time in an airport? Cause i have. 

Its hard when we do need to do all these things for ourselves and anecdotally, a large percentage of the burly scene is neurodiverse in some way, meaning we may often struggle to focus on one activity for a long period of time and context switching feels more productive. 

I have some tips and ways to reduce context switching that hopefully can help;

1. Make a prioritised list and share it with someone to keep you accountable. Work through the list an action at a time. Eg I need to send invoices and i need to finish a costume piece. I have been known to do some costuming, send some emails then go back to it but then i lose track of what i have and havent sent. Instead i should do my invoices first. 

2. Time blocking and timers. I’ve actually seen a really good example of this on someones insta stories where they set timers throughout the day they were costuming to change to a different piece of the costume to rhinestone so they didn’t get bored. This also works to keep you focused because you know there is a time limit on it. I also block out 1 hour on a monday to dance and rehearse while sundays get 2 hours for admin and recording/editing. 

3. Take breaks. I know we’re the worst at this. Sometimes taking a 30 min break is enough. Sometimes we need to take a night off. 

4. Be intentional with your time. So dont be sending casting emails in an airport. Instead save the details and apply when you are in the proper headspace to do it. I know we think we have to do everything on the move these days but being intentional with how you spend your time will allow your brain to focus on the task at hand and be in the right mindset. 

Context switching is something i personally deal with daily in my day job so minimising it elsewhere really helps me to have a semblance of control and intentionality with my left over mental energy. 

Do you have any other tips for minimising multi-tasking and context switching?