Information overload is more than just annoying. It can lead to errors, oversights and even create emotional overwhelm and anxiety. It’s a fact that despite our best efforts, we humans just aren’t cut out for multitasking.
The more information we ingest from multiple channels (email, texts, phone calls, app notifications, social media, etc), the lower our available mental bandwidth gets. Too much input can literally make us stupid, reducing our ability to effectively focus on completing important tasks and problem solving.
What can you do? Here’s a few ideas to consider…
Streamline your systems. Instead of using email to track and manage client or team projects, consider using a project management solution such as Basecamp, Zoho, Teamwork or Asana. These centralize information including file storage, messaging, task management and more. Instead of rummaging through emails to string together what happened on a project, just log in and look at your project, organized and corralled in one place.
Turn off mobile app “push” notifications. Ever install a new app and shortly thereafter wished you hadn’t? Example: I’m a bit of a news junkie, and I installed a news app to keep me up to date on “breaking news”. Next thing I knew my phone was pinging me to let me know that Johnny Depp was getting a divorce. As I’m not that big a fan, the app was quickly uninstalled. The biggest target for this digital purge are your social media apps. Do you really need to be interrupted every time someone mentions you on Twitter or tags your pic on Facebook?
Use SMS (texting) for personal communications only. This is getting easier to do these days, with so many media outlets having apps or for logins, using alternative 2-factor authorization systems, like Authy or Google Authenticator. The benefit is that your important text messages wont get lost in the clutter of unwanted celebrity divorce news or authorization codes.
Check email only three times per day – and turn off the message notifications. This suggestion, endorsed by most efficiency experts, used to make me laugh. However, if you try it, you may find that your mail is easier to manage, because you’re focusing on it in devoted chunks of time. I check mail 2 to 3 – eh, 6 to 8 times a day. For me this is huge progress.
Use your phone’s notification filter feature. This assures you are only disturbed when you want to be – and only by the people you want to hear from. Most smartphones have this in some form – for example, only “starred” contacts can call or message you at night. I discovered the necessity of this when Verizon notified me at 3:30am to let me know I had already used 75% of my monthly data allowance. Yikes.
Don’t let FOMO (fear of missing out) stop you from trying. The relative calm and quiet you’ll experience is well worth the effort!