As Analog January gains traction and people seek ways to disconnect from their screens, the reality remains that most of us can't simply unplug during work hours. Between constant notifications, endless email threads, and back-to-back virtual meetings, digital overwhelm has become an unavoidable part of modern work life.
According to Paul Leonardi, department chair and professor of technology management at UC Santa Barbara, we're drowning in digital communication. The problem isn't just the volume of messages we receive—it's the expectation of perpetual availability that comes with our always-connected devices.
If you're feeling drained by your digital workload, here are three research-backed strategies to help you reclaim your energy and focus.
Choose the Right Communication Channel
Not all messages deserve the same medium. When you send a complex request via Slack or schedule a meeting for something that could've been an email, you're setting yourself up for confusion and wasted time.
The key is matching your message's complexity to the platform's capabilities. Quick questions with straightforward answers? Slack works perfectly. Need to provide detailed context or give someone time to think through their response? Email is your friend. Facing a decision with multiple moving parts and high uncertainty? That's when you actually need a meeting.
Real-time conversations through huddles or video calls become valuable when nuance matters. Body language, tone of voice, and immediate feedback can prevent the kind of miscommunication that spawns dozens of follow-up messages.
Resist the Urge to Respond Instantly
Here's permission to slow down: most messages aren't as urgent as they feel.
We've all experienced what Leonardi calls "email urgency bias"—the mistaken belief that every request demands an immediate response. This pressure pushes us to constantly interrupt our work, leading to fragmented attention and mental fatigue.
Unless something is genuinely time-sensitive, give yourself space to respond thoughtfully. Taking twenty minutes to craft a comprehensive email beats spending hours on thirty rushed back-and-forth exchanges.
Consider batching your email responses into dedicated time blocks rather than reacting to each message as it arrives. This approach creates protected periods for deep, focused work while ensuring your inbox still gets attention at regular intervals.
Simplify Your Tech Stack
Every additional platform you're expected to monitor adds another layer of cognitive load. Organizations that use both Microsoft Teams and Slack for internal messaging, for instance, are essentially doubling their employees' communication burden.
The research is clear: more tools correlate directly with higher exhaustion levels.
Start a conversation with your team about which platforms actually serve your priorities. Yes, consolidating tools might create some initial friction, but the long-term benefits for preventing burnout make it worthwhile.
For leaders especially, remember that you have the power to prevent "digital technology proliferation." Sometimes the best decision is saying no to the latest collaboration tool, even when it promises to solve all your problems.
Digital exhaustion isn't a personal failing—it's a predictable response to unrealistic expectations about connectivity and responsiveness. By being more intentional about how, when, and where you communicate, you can reduce the drain without sacrificing productivity.
Your devices will always offer more ways to stay connected. The question is whether those connections are actually serving you or simply exhausting you.