Managers admit that they are forced to work with huge amounts of data. And not just read, but on average once every ten minutes to switch from one task to another. Because of this there is a syndrome of information fatigue, or information overload.
Here’s what it threatens and what to do if the brain is already in a state of information paralysis.
What Is the Danger of Information Noise
Too much information harms our ability to concentrate. Scientists have found that it takes an average of 23 minutes for a person to get their attention back. Considering the number of distractions, such as messages in different communication channels, the average office employee is almost never in a state of maximum concentration. This has a negative impact on performance.
Information fatigue syndrome usually affects the physical and mental state. An overloaded person cannot soberly assess the situation and make balanced decisions, and the number of rash actions increases. The brain, tired from constant work, goes into a state of stupor – it functions, but is not capable of heavy work or concentrated activity.
Productivity in a state of overload decreases: the more information stress we experience, the less result we can produce. If the overload has reached its peak, the person postpones any action, gets stuck at the stage of gathering information.
As a result, a person overloaded with information becomes irritable, has a nervous agitation, cannot remember even the name of a new acquaintance. Or even is in a state of “fog” and has no control over his actions, does not remember what he did a few seconds ago.
Why Information Overload Appears
An Increase in the Volume of Information
Sensory overload can occur if a person consumes too much data. At first, he will stop analyzing it, and then he will simply follow the information without a conscious reaction. For example, endless viewing of meaningless entertainment videos can have this effect on us. We used to consume them mostly through television, now through video services.
The Emergence of Different Channels of Information
Overload appears when a person needs to communicate simultaneously in several messengers, by mail, in real life and on the phone with a large number of people on different topics. Because of the need to switch constantly, the brain gets tired, and at some point, it needs more and more breaks and rest.
Streams of Unstructured Information
We get a lot of different data from unverified sources and often spend a lot of effort analyzing it and discarding the unnecessary.
We are required to multitask, which leads to inefficiency. Productively a person can consciously engage in only one thing. It will not be possible to simultaneously prepare documents and hold a meeting, understand the intricacies of tax systems and set tasks for subordinates. Errors and sensory overload will result from such activities.
Rest Without Changing Activities
For example, if our main work is related to analyzing information, then it’s better to spend our free time not reading, even fiction. For the brain, it’s the same activity, so instead of a book it is better to switch to physical activity – go to the gym, take a walk, talk to someone.
Learning as a Rest
Any training is also a job. Information overload will occur if you use learning as a rest after work.
Consumption of News
One of the key causes of information overload scientists say is a negative news background.
What to Do if Information Fatigue Has Already Appeared
Information overload usually manifests itself in the form of absent-mindedness, memory impairment, and problems with sleep. If we experience such symptoms, the first thing to do is to rest from large flows of information and intellectual work. Here’s how you can do it.
Try Digital Detox
This is what they call a conscious disconnection from any flow of information. You need to take a vacation or at least a few days off, turn off your smartphone, and stay away from your computer or television. It’s desirable not to touch books and magazines, talk less with people.
Sleep
It’s better to turn off the alarm clocks and let yourself rest as long as the body wants. If the excitement interferes with sleep, it’s worth consulting with your therapist about taking sleeping pills – the specific drugs should be prescribed by a doctor, depending on the presence of contraindications.
Engage in Physical Activity
It’s a good idea to give yourself a hard and intense workout that will raise your adrenaline levels. And then, after loading the muscles, relax them in a sauna or a massage session. When we do difficult physical work, it’s hard for the brain to process some information, it’s in a state of stress and rejects all unnecessary information, concentrating only on the performance of the effort.
If it’s impossible to do strength exercises, you can take a long walk in the fresh air, maybe visit nature.
Get Creative
This method is appropriate if we understand the kind of creativity we like to do. For example, you can write a story, draw a picture, make something. The essence of this method is not to get information, but rather to create.
How to Avoid Digital Overload
The best way to combat information overload is prevention. Most of the advice of scientists and psychologists comes down to a literate approach to life and constant rest with a change of activity.
Plan a Change of Activity
It’s significant to alternate information consumption with physical activity. You can arrange for regular walks, trips to the gym or the pool. There’s no need to become a sports star like those at 22bet.co.ke/mobile/, but regular physical activity is necessary.
Try a Digital Sabbath
This is the name of a community that suggests having one day of digital diet a week. The idea is to turn off any digital sources of information on a day off, such as Saturday. You can even look for special detox tours, where a group of people go on a nature retreat and deliberately don’t take internet-connected devices with them.
Plan Your Information Intake
Distribute work tasks so that periods of information consumption alternate with creative processes. For example, you might spend half a day collecting data and then turn off the Internet for a few hours and focus on writing a report. Concentration periods should be included in the schedule and you should warn your colleagues about it, so that they don’t disrupt your work rhythm.
Try not to Read the News
If your consumption of news and media is not work-related, it is better to refuse reading them at all or at least allocate a certain place and time for it, and then change the activity to physical activity, to give your brain a chance to unload.
Give up Digital Gum
This is what they call the information we consume without any benefit. It is not recreation, but also not productive work, but a “killer” of time. A striking example of digital chewing gum is aimless browsing of social networks.
Determining whether information is useful or gum can be determined by asking, “Will I use this information now?” If not, it’s probably gum. For example, looking up a YouTube video with a pizza recipe and making it’s a useful activity. Just watching clips of someone cooking is an aimless consumption of information that can cause overload.
The main principle of combating overload is useful consumption. It’s important to assess the value of information, to remember to rest and create, and also to avoid learning something for nothing, without purpose.
