How a Digital Detox can Boost Productivity

by Spectrum Wellness

“Don’t become a slave to technology. Manage your phone.  Don’t let it manage you.” – Richard Branson

Richard Branson recently started a new requirement that some of his employees turn off email for two hours a week in a bid to improve their wellbeing and creativity. The policy, which has been running since June, sees around 200 workers at Virgin Management in the U.S. and the UK moving away from their desks each Wednesday morning — from 10 a.m. to noon — to take part in creative meetings, walking meetings and even running clubs. The idea of pushing employees offline is supported by growing concern over the amount of time people now spend online.

A new study of online habits by MediaCom Ireland shows three out of five people surveyed on behalf of the media-buying agency, have not stayed offline for more than a single day. Surveys have found that we check our phones up to 150 times a day and that up to 60 per cent of us check our emails when on holidays. In fact, checking emails on holidays is now so common that it almost seems silly to mention it. But is it? As a nation we seem completely hooked, and the reality is that digital addiction isn’t normal and it’s actually having a negative impact on our lives. Not only is the constant use of technology proven to make you unhappy, but it also impacts your productivity

Let’s look at how a digital detox can help boost your employee’s productivity:

Reduced Stress

Work can be stressful enough when we’re in the office, but, most of us decide to then take it home with us. Simply answering to a few out of hours emails isn’t as productive as we think, and it carries the stress of work into our homes. Some businesses are finally understanding the impact that always-on-connectivity to the digital world can have on employees’ stress levels. Some large companies in Germany, such as BMW and Volkswagen turn off emails at the end of the working day so that employees can completely relax after working hours.

Increased Creativity

It is important to unplug from time-to-time to allow us to relink in other ways, outside Facebook, Twitter and other online networks and tools. We can spend time focusing on our friends and family, we can recharge professionally, and reload our creativity and allow it to come through into our work.

Improved Concentration & Focus

Do you get distracted at work a lot? Human attention spans have declined hugely in the last eight years, since the launch of the smartphone. Would you believe it’s now thought to be shorter than that of a goldfish! Push notifications, WhatsApp messages, text messages and emails to our phones are constantly buzzing and always on. The act of just receiving a notification, even if you don’t answer to it, is enough to distract you. By taking a short break from technology, you’ll improve both your focus and concentration which will help with productivity in the workplace.

Energised

Switching off means you’ll have a proper break from work. We’re all part of this always connected culture and even when we go on annual leave, we never take a real break. We still spend time replying to work emails and taking phone calls, and 60% of people say a traditional holiday does not relieve their stress.

How can employers encourage employees to take a digital detox?

 With effective “breaking” being the secret force behind workplace productivity, it’s important for employers to encourage their staff to get away from their desks and disconnect from all technology at lunchtime, as well as for short periods throughout the day. Some suggestions include:

• Providing a technology-free break area that encourages socialising
• Creating a nap culture to allow for short naps which can actually increase performance throughout the day.
• Encouraging employees to get outside – spending time in nature and exercising can increase energy and positive feelings.
• Enforcing a company-wide digital detoxing policy, such as by turning off emails after hours or for a specific time period during the working week.

Perhaps the most important suggestion of all is to create a workplace culture that supports digital detoxing. Employees often feel guilty about perceived ‘slacking off’, many don’t take a break when they actually should, so at a time when many employers expect round-the-clock communication, encouraging employees to take a digital detox is not just good for your employees – it’s good for your business and bottom line too.