Amidst the considerable disruption of the coronavirus pandemic, it might be easy to forget the 4th industrial revolution we all believed to be living through. It entails a huge panoply of technologies threatening to disrupt our way of being.

New research from the University of Sydney explores the mental health impact of this considerable technological disruption in the workplace.  The study provides an analysis of existing studies on how tech-driven changes at work influence our mental health.

“While technology can streamline many aspects of work, its continued use with few breaks can be really draining, especially when the boundaries between work and home life are blurred,” the researchers say.

Self-care

The research identifies a number of strategies we can take to ensure our mental health is suitably cared for, including regular physical exercise and breaks from technology, and also the customization of notifications on various digital devices.

The researchers urge managers to take more of an interest in the mental and emotional wellbeing of their workforce, especially during the transition back to the workplace that has taken place during the pandemic.

“It’s important that managers and supervisors embed systems for routinely checking in on the wellbeing of their employees. This can be especially difficult without in-person contact,” they explain. “Managers’ increasing confidence to initiate conversations about mental health and wellbeing has been a silver lining of this pandemic, and will be even more critical as they navigate returning to offices.”

They urge managers to ensure that employees are involved in the decision making surrounding the implementation of new technologies, systems, and procedures.  It’s through this level of control and participation in the change that protective mental health measures can be instigated.

“This is even more important when so many of the factors impacting people’s work in recent months has been dependent on controlling the spread of the virus,” the researchers conclude. “For many people, new working patterns may challenge the daily routines that help keep our body clocks stable.”