This year, the world changed overnight, and organizations globally have had to change with it. Although digital consumption has been on an upward trajectory for years, the rapid shift to remote work for many has led to a feeling of constant connectivity and digital overwhelm.
A survey conducted by Monster in July of this year found that over two-thirds, or 69%, of employees are experiencing burnout symptoms while working from home (a 20% increase since May). While this statistic is alarming, it is not that surprising given that employees are spending over half of their day on connected devices and 55% of them are still checking their email after 11pm at night.
The confluence of an always-on culture combined with Zoom fatigue, continuous partial attention, and a myriad of other unique environmental stressors means employees are feeling more pressure than ever before. Digital wellness is no longer a luxury; it’s a business and lifestyle necessity, with 83% of employees looking to their employers for guidance.
It’s time for organizations and employees to update their approach to wellness, recognizing that it is impossible to talk about mental or physical wellness without addressing digital wellness in our current environment. Digital wellness is not simply about unplugging for periods of time; it’s a holistic way of thinking about how, when, where and why we are interacting with technology and what the effects of those choices might be on other aspects of our health. It’s about giving intention to our attention.
Digital Flourishing®
While the challenge of helping employees to find digital balance may seem daunting, organizations like the Digital Wellness Institute offer incredible resources for upskilling your workforce to digitally flourish across multiple domains of their lives including productivity, communication, relationships, digital citizenship, health and more. To get you started, here are six strategies to help your employees rethink their relationship to technology:
