How to ensure the digital well-being of your team?
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant changes to our societies. It seems that our lives are inseparably linked with the digital world; we learn and work remotely and we even prefer digital tools for our entertainment and leisure activities. During the pandemic, information overload and extensive usage of social media with a focus on the online socialisation and communication may have led to the so-called ‘digital overload’. As of January 2022, there were 4.95 billion active internet users around the world.
Even though digital technologies have significantly improved our lives and offered us amazing opportunities, we cannot ignore the fact that, in some cases, it is hard to keep a balance between our lives offline and in the online world. According to a study by Vanden Abeele (2020), we struggle of being in control and we get stressed regarding ”whether, when, and where we connect and disconnect”. The whole situation has also led to anxiety, mental fatigue, and a loss of…productivity.
When we talk about digital well-being we focus on ‘‘the enhancement and improvement of human well-being in the intermediate and long term, through the use of digital media”. At this point, it is significant to highlight the importance of digital well-being for employees - an employee’s well-being is inseparably linked with the employee’s engagement.
So, what can organizations and companies do to promote healthy digital habits at work?
1.Support some screen-free activities or habits
Do you promote any activities away from the screen? If not, it may be the time!
Allow your team to spend some minutes away from the screen during the day. Support them in adopting off-screen habits or start building some habits together. For example:
You can take a walk outside as a team or individually;
You can have a meeting per week without using devices;
Offer them the opportunity to have some of your meetings outside.
2. Reduce digital meetings
Digital meetings are usually long in duration and in some cases, they distract employees and may increase their stress. Try to limit digital meetings by replacing them with in-person ones. That way, your employees will have the opportunity to interact and exchange ideas in-person, meet his/her colleague and stay more productive for the rest of the day.
If you work only remotely, and in-person meeting are impossible, try to make them as effective as possible. For example:
Create an agenda and inform the team members about the topics;
Include them in the decision-making regarding the date and time and the agenda;
Allow everyone to take their time to reflect;
Keep the meetings short.
3. Use time management and digital well-being apps
It is easy to get distracted by various apps or social media platforms. In some cases, we do not know when to connect or disconnect and in general keep a balance. For that, it is significant to offer your employees the opportunity to use time management apps in order to control the time they spend on specific tasks or platforms and explore concrete recommendations and tips.
Also, digital well-being apps can help your employees in adopting mindfulness and improving their productivity by also maintaining a balance between their online use.
Some examples of these apps are:
4. Encourage employees to disconnect and relax
It is significant to allow your employees to disconnect for some time during or after lunch break in order to relax.
If you are back working from your offices, you can create a break area, with books and comfortable chairs or even a Ping pong table. Otherwise, if you still work remotely, consider preparing for them personalised music lists they can listen to during their break.
5.Provide employees with continuous training when it comes to new digital practices
New technologies and practices aim to improve the way of working and productivity. Before starting using them, you should be aware that changes will not be easy for everyone – some employees might adapt easier than others.
Thus, you should be ready to provide your employees with proper and continuous training once deciding to adopt new digital practices in the work environment. Some of the platforms you can find online trainings are:
And even YouTube videos.
It will also be beneficial to engage your employees in the decision-making process when it comes to the use of new and specific technologies – What works best for them? What do they prefer?!
Finally, before following the examples above, keep in mind to be the change you want to see! Help your employees thrive by helping them to maintain their well-being and of course, engaging them in a unique learning journey!