As the workplace is increasingly digitised, we need to be aware of the effects on our cognitive abilities and levels of mental energy. How can we protect ourselves from the intense pace of work and continuous interruptions? In a digital environment, what does it mean to invest time in nurturing thinking and creativity?
Every year the Great Place to Work Institute, in conjunction with Fortune, publishes a list of the best places to work. Most of them are noted for their provision of good working conditions and benefits, including vacations, sick days, health insurance, training, and jobs that provide people with autonomy and challenges.
Nevertheless, with an increased digitalisation of the workplace and more flexible working hours, new indicators of employees’ wellbeing should be taken into consideration.
Think cognitive sustainability. This concept presented by Beatrice Barzon offers a new way of looking at the convergence of cognitive abilities and sustainability.
Research has shown that our brains are not nearly as good at handling multiple tasks as we like to think they are. In fact, multitasking can reduce productivity by as much as 40%.
Does multitasking affect productivity and brain health?
Digital workers face two dangers, which can be seen as two sides to the same coin. One is the risk of cognitive overload, when demands are greater than the person’s mental abilities to cope with them, with too many inputs and contents to be processed simultaneously.
The other is the monotonous lifestyle brought on by the specialisation of work, easy access to information and desk-sitting habits; working on a single topic, spending several hours in front of a screen and interaction with a limited number of people lead to a low level of mental energy and creativity.
If we observe the daily routine of an employee, we notice that s/he is performing two or more tasks simultaneously, switching back and forth from one to another and tackling several assignments in rapid succession.
Research has shown that our brains are not nearly as good at handling multiple tasks as we like to think they are. In fact, multitasking can reduce productivity by as much as 40%.
An important study was conducted over the last decade by Stanford University to investigate the relationship between media multitasking and various domains of cognition, including working memory and attention. In conducting this analysis, Melina Uncapher and Anthony Wagner noticed a trend emerging in the literature: people who frequently use many types of media at once, or heavy media multitaskers, performed significantly worse on simple memory tasks.
What recharges our mind and supports well-being?
Metaphorically, it is appropriate to see our mind as a battery that needs to be recharged every day. Experts from different fields have suggested strategies to develop new streams of energy for our mind and our body.
Our two main needs: planning time to disconnect & leaving space for spontaneity.
1. Careful planning of the daily schedule
One practice to improve work quality is digital detoxing. The concept is embodied in a set of guidelines meant to deliberately limit the use of technology so as to reduce digital involvement and physiological stress.
In times of social isolation, when remote workers face an increased risk of digital overuse, organisations should create a digital environment that supports employee satisfaction and mental health.
As regards the frequency of interactions and speed of stimuli, scientists strongly encourage silence, and in general the possibility to stop and take a break.
A 2011 University of Illinois study found that the human brain’s attentional resources drop off after a long period of focusing on a single task, decreasing our ability to focus and hindering performance.
Moreover, when employees are busy and stressed, they tend to easily discard healthy habits – such as eating nutritious meals, physical exercise, and the right amount of sleep.
Taking a proper lunch break gives employees time to incorporate healthy habits into their normal working day, whether it is preparing and eating a meal, or running or walking outside.
Even a 20-minute nap can clear space in the working memory for new information, and help the integration of new knowledge into the long-term memory.
2. Leaving space for unforeseen and spontaneous events to happen
Employees should plan their schedule, making sure they have moments to relax and let casual events intrude on their daily routines. Informal conversation with co-workers, reading an interesting article, getting insights from people in the street, experiencing nature, dedicating time to a passion, or playing with kids, can foster creativity and can bring innovative contributions to your work.
Top managers more commonly include in their calendar “walk-in slots”, which colleagues can book to discuss various topics.
Having the possibility to meet people from different cultures and different backgrounds can also help develop attitudes essential to success in modern organisations. In fact, diversity management is a recognisable source of divergent thinking and innovation.
If properly managed, it can provide international companies a basis for competitive advantage. In general, it is important to accept to be challenged and to face situations where our existing skills and perspectives are inadequate.
A good example of an activity creating positive energy and developing soft skills is volunteering. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) offers its staff six paid days off a year to participate in one of its voluntary programs; it has shown several benefits for managers’ personal development (i.e., thinking outside the box, being aware of the needs of others, empathy, listening skills, and doing more with fewer resources).
Finally, emotional engagement, which derives mainly from the right balance between work and personal bonds, has a positive impact on the mental energy and performance of employees.
How can we proactively protect mental well-being in the workplace?
This new need to improve cognitive sustainability by reducing mental stress and developing intellectual energy requires the commitment of individuals, teams and organisations on two levels:
- Observe and gain a higher awareness of the evolving dynamics of the modern workplace. It is important to identify the main factors hindering and supporting cognitive abilities and to design organisations in accordance.
- Accurate management of individual time and digital devices. Ideally, a comprehensive diary should be built including personal moments, energy rechargers and physical activities on the same level as work-related tasks and meetings.
This article is adapted from Chiara Succi’s impact paper for ESCP Business School’s 2021 edition “Better Business: Creating Sustainable Value”.