Combating Technostress & Finding Balance in a Digital Workplace

Smartphones, social media and latest technology have revolutionized? the way we live our lives and made it more convenient and efficient. However, the constant need to be connected creates stress and anxiety. These are some of the negative side effects that come with technology in the fast-paced digital world. This is specifically referred to as Technostress that has grown significantly over the last few years with the increasing advancement in technology that continues to blur the line between work and personal life. In a completely digital workplace, there is a constant inflow of information leading to a digital overload which causes burnout, stress, and anxiety among employees. This occurs when workers are not able to adapt to new technology, manage it well and use it in a productive and healthy way.

Causes of Technostress

While technology has become such an integral part of our lives, we fail to see the signs of stress it causes. In the workplace, it can be caused by a number of things such as email overload, the pressure to be available 24/7 and other digital distractions. Let’s look at some causes that could lead to technostress:

1.Technology overload?

Our work is rarely restricted to our workplace anymore, thanks to the constant connectivity and our smartphones. Most of us tend to take our work home with us and owing to remote work, the line between work time and personal time gets blurred. With technology being so integral at both our workplace and home, it is only natural that we are unable to disconnect and in turn get more stressed.

2. Digital distractions

Even when we are at work, we are constantly interrupted by interruptions in the form of emails or notifications. This can often create a sense of feeling overworked and overwhelmed. Not to forget the digital distractions on our smartphone! It makes it harder to focus on work at hand and lead to additional anxiety.

3. Complexity of technology

Often there are times when new tools and technology can seem intimidating owing to its complexity or just newness. With rapid advancements in the digital world, it can often seem confusing or overwhelming to adapt to new technology as soon as it arrives.

Ways Employers Can Protect its Employees from Technostress

With software companies rolling out new upgrades so often, technostress has become a growing problem. There has also been a marked upswing in use of new tools for remote collaboration and communication as well as cloud migration. With adverse effects of technostress ranging from biological to work-related aspects such as lower productivity and faster burnout, here are some ways employers can protect their workforce from being impacted.

a) Encourage employees to take breaks

While employees cannot be asked to completely cut-off from technology at work, encourage them to take breaks in between. This means designating a specific time, say lunch or a coffee-break where they can disconnect from the digital world and take some time to recharge.

b) Train them to use technology effectively

One of the important steps could be training employees to use new technology reducing factors like insecurity, complexity, and uncertainty that lead to technostress. Additionally, they can also be trained on managing emails, prioritizing tasks and making use of productivity tools effectively.?

c) Introduce new technology gradually

Sometimes companies are required to adopt new software and tools in a remote setup. However, to prevent technostress, it can be done gradually instead of just introducing them at once and overwhelming the employees. By helping them understand its importance, giving proper training, etc. you can ease in on the new technology so that they can adjust better without getting anxious.

d) Encourage work boundaries

Employers can encourage employees to disconnect from work after office hours and create a culture that believes in work-life balance. Employees can be encouraged to have specific hours when they are not expected to be available such as holidays or vacations. While this may not be applicable at all times, doing so will help have a workforce that is healthier, happier, and more productive!

There is no denying that technostress is a growing concern in this digital age. While we cannot put brakes on the fast-moving pace of technology development, it is imperative that we are at least mindful of the negative impact it can have on our well-being. We can combat technostress both at home and workplace by learning to establish healthy boundaries and prioritizing self-care and in turn have a healthier relationship with technology.