Combatting Digital Exhaustion: Experts Offer Strategies for a Less Overwhelming Workday
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As more individuals embrace “Analog January” and seek respite from constant screen time, a growing number are confronting the reality that disconnecting from technology at work isn’t always feasible. However, experts say there are actionable steps employees can take to mitigate the feeling of being perpetually “on.” David Leonardi, author of “ion: Simple Rules for Reclaiming Your Life,” notes the constant influx of digital communication. despite this constant influx, he notes, “there’s this expectation that we’re always right on top of everything” with “constant availability” due to our devices, leading to widespread feelings of being overwhelmed and drained, especially in professional settings.Leonardi outlines three key strategies to help workers reclaim focus and reduce digital exhaustion on the job.
Matching the Message to the Medium
The sheer number of communication platforms available – Slack, email, meetings, and more – can contribute to the problem. Using the wrong tool for a particular message can lead to misunderstandings and wasted time in clarifying back-and-forth exchanges.
“What we want to do is make that match between how difficult is the thing we’re trying to do and what are the capabilities of the technology, and will it match that level of complexity,” Leonardi says. He suggests reserving platforms like Slack for “immediate responses about very low-stakes issues.”
For situations requiring more context or where the recipient needs time to process details, email is the preferred method. When quick decisions are needed amidst complex and uncertain circumstances, huddles and meetings are ideal. “Real-time communication saves you time on back-and-forth messages and gives you more clarity on others’ thoughts through cues like body language and expressions,” Leonardi explains.
The Power of Delayed Response
Surprisingly, Leonardi advocates for slowing down responses in many cases. He points to email urgency bias, a phenomenon where “we think that other people’s requests are much more urgent than they actually are.”
“We almost all feel that way in corporate America that it’s our responsibility to give people what they need right away,” he observes. However, unless a request is genuinely urgent, resisting the urge to respond immediately can be beneficial.
“That allows us to not interrupt our work to respond,but to plan a more thoughtful response when it fits into the flow of our work in ways that aren’t going to demand us to be constantly making switches and to do things in which we’re not really well-prepared,both of which lead to exhaustion,” Leonardi states.He recommends taking the time to craft more extensive emails, noting that “by slowing down, [we] think through an issue more fully and give more reliable, robust responses.” A longer, well-considered email, even if it takes 20 minutes to write, can ultimately prevent a cascade of 30 follow-up interactions. Consider dedicating specific times of the day to address emails, rather than reacting to each message as it arrives, to foster periods of “deep, uninterrupted work.”
Streamlining Your Tech Stack
A notable contributor to digital exhaustion is the sheer volume of platforms we’re expected to navigate. Leonardi cites the example of organizations using both Microsoft Teams and Slack for internal messaging.
“There’s definitely a correlation between the number of tools we have and the level of exhaustion that we feel,” he says. He encourages teams to discuss “what are our priorities and which platforms serve us best” to determine which tools to retain and which to eliminate. While this process may initially encounter resistance, “the long-term effects of reducing the tech stack are really beneficial for preventing overwhelm and exhaustion.”
For business leaders, Leonardi offers a modern take on the classic Smokey Bear message: “Sometimes it’s ‘Only you can prevent digital technology proliferation.'”
