Digital Overload Is Fueling Workplace Burnout—Here’s How to Stop It
Our working worlds have become increasingly dependent upon being digitally connected. While this has improved productivity and communication, it has also contributed to digital overload and workplace burnout. Digital boundaries at work are being blurred as more people are taking their work home with them whether it’s expected or not. Remote work has further complicated this, making it harder for employees to disconnect and maintain a work-life balance.
Beyond being connected from work, many people stay connected to devices for social and entertainment aspects. The combination of excessive digital exposure and the expectation to always be available has led to rising levels of stress, exhaustion, and disengagement.
This article will explore why digital boundaries are essential for preventing digital overload and workplace burnout, the negative effects of being constantly connected, and how both managers and employees can set healthy digital boundaries.
Why Should You Have Digital Boundaries at Work
Without proper digital boundaries at work, people can experience “digital overload”. Digital Overload is a state where people become overwhelmed by the excessive amount of digital information and communication. The constant influx of communication keeps individuals feeling like they always have to “be on” and capable of multitasking. However, multitasking is actually negatively correlated with productivity; it’s been proven that tasks are better accomplished one at a time without interruptions.
Digital boundaries are essential for productivity, mental health, and preventing workplace burnout. When employees have enough time to rest, recharge, and do activities they enjoy, they’re better able to perform well at work.
Establishing digital boundaries in the workplace can help improve employees' well-being, increase productivity, and boosts overall job satisfaction.
The Negative Effects of Digital Overload: How Constant Connectivity Fuels Workplace Burnout
Digital overload and a lack of digital boundaries have significant negative effects on both managers and employees within a company. These negative effects occur in three main areas: mental health, productivity and personal life.
Mental Health
The impact of not having digital boundaries at work on the mental well-being include:
Increased stress, worry and anxiety
Exhaustion and burnout
Technology Addiction: feeling unable to disconnect
Insomnia
Inability to rest (body stays in a constant flight-or-fight mode)
When mental health suffers, physical health issues often follow—ranging from headaches and fatigue to weakened immune systems.
Productivity
Having an overload of digital communication can have the following effects:
Decreased productivity due to inability to prioritize the workload
Reduced efficiency and quality of work
Inability to focus and complete a task
When managers and employees are constantly being interrupted with emails, notifications, and phone calls, it's decreasing the quality of work and leading to exhaustion. There are also only so many hours of the day that our brains are actually able to remain productive. Working long hours daily is not likely increasing performance.
Personal Life
When people are always connected to work and taking work home with them, this ultimately affects their personal life. The negative effects of poor digital boundaries on personal life include:
Disconnection from personal relationships
Less time for personal hobbies that bring them joy
Decrease in maintaining self-care routines
There is essentially no work-life balance and when people are missing out on the “life” portion, it's ultimately going to decrease their overall quality of life.
How to Set Digital Boundaries & Protect Against Workplace Burnout
So what can leadership and the team do to prevent digital overload? Here are a 5 key strategies to implement digital boundaries and avoid workplace burnout:
Set Clear Communication Policies and Boundaries
This begins with having set working hours and committing to only being available by phone or email at these specified times. Set realistic times to respond to emails and provide clear deadlines for projects. The more clarity around this, the less pressure people feel to check their emails outside of work hours.
Leverage Technology to Support Boundaries
There are several tools that can be used to support focused work hours and after hours messages. For focused hours some suggestions are to time-block your focused work time on a shared team calendar, take advantage of “Do not disturb” modes and turn off unnecessary notifications on computers and phones. To avoid emails being sent after hours you can instead use a scheduler to have it sent at regular business hours.
Encourage Digital Detox Routines and Breaks
Regularly check in to ensure the team is taking their breaks and encourage these to be non-tech breaks. It can also be encouraged to reduce technology use outside of work and engage in social events and hobbies.
Provide Mentorship and Training
Offer guidance, such as team workshops, on time management, prioritization, and stress reduction strategies to prevent workplace burnout. The more support and guidance in this area the more likely these boundaries will be enforced and respected.
Model Healthy Digital Behaviors at the Leadership Level
Ensuring that the whole team feels supported in reducing digital overload starts at the management level. Managers should lead by example by respecting boundaries, such as refraining from sending after-hours emails and encouraging regular breaks. By trusting their team to manage tasks effectively and steering clear of micromanagement, managers can promote a supportive and balanced work environment.
Final Thoughts on Preventing Digital Overload and Workplace Burnout
Establishing and maintaining digital boundaries at work in today's always-connected world is crucial. By implementing strategies that provide clear communication, leveraging technology, encouraging breaks, providing mentorship, and modeling healthy behaviors at the leadership level, organizations can create a culture that values both productivity and well-being. These boundaries not only improve individual mental health and work-life balance but also enhance team engagement, job satisfaction, and overall performance. A workplace that values healthy digital boundaries benefits not just the employees but the whole organization.
If you are looking to learn more about other types of Workplace Boundaries check out our recent blog: "Workplace Boundaries: A Guide to Building a Healthy Work Environment"
Further reading on Digital Boundaries: “6 Ways to Avoid Digital Overload and Keep Employees Engaged”
