4 steps to alleviate cognitive overload and career stress before 2025

As we celebrate International Stress Awareness Day on November 2, 2024, being a professional is no walk in the park amid the plethora of stress-inducing situations in today’s workplace. The emergence of new learning technologies and rapid digital transformation in the workplace can lead to technology fatigue for employees who are already bogged down by other professional responsibilities and personal issues. remote and in-office tugalong with economic ones and political unrest lead to cognitive overload and career stress.

Any office larger than two people has workers who struggle with cognitive overload—when employees are bombarded with overwhelming amounts of information and work demands that become greater than their minds can integrate.

right World Health Organizationan estimated 12 billion workdays are lost each year due to depression and anxiety at a cost of $1 trillion per year in lost productivity. Excessive workload and understaffing is the main culprit. Despite these many pressures, employers can take some relatively simple steps to alleviate these stressors for their employees.

I spoke with Jennifer Franklin, The medal vice president of product. She told me that streamlining workflows, investing in training, encouraging regular breaks and ensuring a fair workload are among the steps organizations can take to mitigate cognitive overload and reduce burnout.

#1. Streamline and prioritize information flow

In today’s fast-paced world, Franklin recognizes that employees are faced with a constant influx of information, both at work and in their personal lives, making it difficult to discern what is truly relevant and important.

“At Medallia, we promote the use of optimized communication channels that prioritize concise and relevant messages while minimizing unnecessary notifications,” she says. “We also encourage employees to adjust their notification settings and set limits to increase focus and productivity. Setting aside dedicated time each day to review and respond to messages can further help reduce constant distractions, allowing employees to stay engaged and focused on their priorities.”

#2. Invest in training and resources

According to Franklin, investing in employee mental health is no longer optional. “It is critical to sustainable success, especially amid today’s economic and geopolitical uncertainty,” she says. “Companies that prioritize mental health not only improve their reputation, but also achieve tangible business benefits. At Medallia, we strive to empower our customers by unlocking the potential of their workforce. This goal can only be achieved when employees feel safe, supported and valued.”

“Research consistently shows that prioritizing mental health leads to significant improvements in employee engagement, which in turn fuels innovation and fosters a vibrant and dynamic work culture,” points out Franklin.

“In times of economic uncertainty and political instability, employee productivity is particularly vulnerable to stress and anxiety. Therefore, providing access to mental health care, along with offering workshops on time management, stress reduction and coping strategies, can be essential in maintaining morale and productivity. These efforts not only support employee well-being, but also contribute to a resilient and high-performing organization.”

#3. Encourage time for deep work and recharging

Franklin notes that the traditional work model, where employees left their tools and work responsibilities at the desk, has transformed dramatically. “Today, work often extends into personal time, with many employees juggling tasks across a variety of digital platforms,” ​​she continues. “This shift is amplified by the changing dynamics of modern households, where dual-income families and increased workloads are common. As a result, work expectations have increased, while hours in a day remain unchanged.”

She believes employers can establish “focus hours” — dedicated hours when meetings and interruptions are minimized — to support employee productivity and well-being. This approach, she argues, allows employees to immerse themselves in deep work without distraction, adding that creating a culture that values ​​regular breaks is also essential.

“Encouraging employees to recharge throughout the day boosts focus and prevents burnout,” says Franklin. “Techniques like the Pomodoro Method, which alternates 25 minutes of focused work with 5-minute breaks, can help maintain energy and productivity. At Medallia, we offer our employees “Focus Fridays”, which limit the number of internal meetings, and we offer quarterly mental health days, which have supported our vision to embrace all the differences of our employees and allow them to bring their whole selves at work. “

In a world filled with back-to-back meetings, she insists it’s wise to reassess which meetings are necessary and which tasks can be accomplished with a quick text or note. She states that small changes can make a significant difference in creating a more balanced and sustainable work environment and reduce cognitive load.

#4. Ensure equitable workload and project alignment

Franklin says that while the goal is often a balanced workload across teams, the reality is that some employees have more than their fair share. “For managers, it is critical to assess whether this imbalance stems from differences in efficiency and expertise or from a truly unequal distribution of work.”

She points out that today’s wealth of data—from work schedules and meetings to feedback and interaction metrics—provides leaders with valuable insights. She adds that consolidating this information provides a holistic view of team dynamics, efficiency and productivity.

“By harnessing these insights and understanding the factors that occur outside the walls of your organization, leaders can proactively adjust workloads, address burnout risks and prioritize tasks more effectively, ensuring a sustainable work environment for everyone,” Franklin concluded.

A final word: divest or invest?

Cognitive overload leads to general burnout, but not just among employees. Many workers distrust HR, questioning whether it is broken beyond repair, as they struggle with companies struggling with ineffective people strategies. From managing remote work policies to addressing workplace incivility and DEI initiatives, HR professionals are facing unprecedented cognitive overload, burnout and criticism.

Managers are not immune either 36% report alarming levels of stress and burnout this year. Conformable Workforce Institutemanagers have a greater impact on someone’s mental health than a doctor or therapist. No wonder Gallup found that managers are more likely to be stressed, angry, sad and lonely than non-managers, given the huge responsibilities that fall on their shoulders, along with the challenging economic, political and social climate.

So is the solution to dismantle HR and ditch middle managers? A recent one New York Times article about employee frustrations with HR struck a chord with Jenny Dearborn, director of people strategy at BTS. Dearborn says he believes the solution is not to dismantle HR, but to empower CEOs to redesign it.

And Jamie Aitken, vice president of human resources transformation at Betterworkstold me via email that without the support of managers, employees would struggle with clarity, direction and personal growth. “The benefits of investing in the development of managers by giving them the right tools and technology are far greater than simply removing them,” she concludes.