Proper rest in the midst of an ‘always on’ work life is a necessity
The idea of FOMO is something most of us are now familiar with. We’ve always had a propensity to worry about missing exciting events or experiences, but social media has exacerbated these feelings. To this point, FOMO has only really related to one’s personal life. However, experts believe this thinking is now playing a role in the workplace, with disastrous effects on mental health.
According to research conducted by the University of Nottingham’s Schools of Psychology and Medicine, FOMO in the context of the workplace is defined as anxiety about missing out on important information, updates, meetings, as well as relationships with co-workers and clients.
Many people are fielding countless work WhatsApp groups and checking emails, so they can respond immediately.
The pandemic made the digital workplace non-negotiable. For two years or more, much of the world worked from home. Thereafter, hybrid arrangements came into play, after which many went back to the office, while others chose a permanent remote working life.
Digital technologies have fundamentally reshaped the way work happens and have given us greater flexibility and autonomy, but with this has come an inability to switch off. And with taking on more work comes overloading and high levels of anxiety.
The digital workplace has helped to fuel the fast-paced world of modern work culture encountered every day. Connectivity is constant, information is everywhere, and it seems like we’ve never had so many meetings in our diaries, ever.
Turn off properly
Holidays or time off used to be a welcome reprieve from the stresses of the workplace, but now, with a computer in your pocket, it is increasingly hard for people to unplug, even when they are lying on a beach.
Whether it is self-imposed or as a result of co-workers getting in touch, many people today find themselves unable to ignore their email inbox or mute work WhatsApp groups while on leave.
All this does is foster a greater sense of exhaustion – a surefire way to find yourself burnt out.
This kind of thinking cannot be switched off overnight. Employees and businesses need to work together to change it. Employers must be stronger in their position on crucial things like confining work to working hours, limiting the amount of communication products used, promoting lunch breaks, reducing the number of meetings held, and stressing the importance of unplugging on evenings, weekends and holidays.
If it isn’t already a fixture, businesses should institute wellbeing programmes that not only educate employees on the importance of mental and physical wellbeing in the workplace but also incentivise them to get involved and take action for their own sake.
The inclusion of mental health days can work wonders. These, which can be taken whenever is necessary, give a team the freedom to switch off for a day.
Text | Emma-Jane Truter
Photography | PeopleImages.com – Yuri A
Emma-Jane Truter is Founder and Head Social Media Strategist at Emma Is Social. For more information, go to emmaissocial.com.
