Stress is a constant bedfellow of many the modern worker. A study from the University of Nottingham found that people who stay mindful in the digital workplace are less stressed and anxious. The researchers looked at survey responses from 142 employees.

“As work is increasingly mediated by digital technology we wanted to find out the impact this is having on people’s health and whether there are ways to mitigate this,” the researchers explain. “We found that being mindfully and confidently digital should be considered important elements of living a healthy digital working life in the 21st century.”

Managing stress

The study’s participants were asked about their encounters with the negative aspects of the digital workplace, including stress, overload, anxiety, fear of missing out, and addiction, and how these affected their health.

The findings revealed that individuals with greater digital confidence were less prone to digital workplace anxiety, and those with higher mindfulness were more shielded from all the adverse effects. Insights from 14 interviews also highlighted how practicing digital mindfulness can contribute to safeguarding well-being.

“Digital workplace technologies like e-mail, instant messaging and mobile devices have been shown to contribute to perceptions of stress by employees and employees may experience stress when having to adapt to a constantly evolving digital workplace which can lead to burnout and poorer health,” the authors continue.

Mindfulness is described as a state of awareness where individuals intentionally and non-judgmentally focus on the present moment. The research indicated that employees with a higher level of mindfulness were less vulnerable to the negative effects of the digital workplace’s dark side.

“The research shows that organizations need to consider how to manage digital workplace hazards alongside other psychosocial and physical risks in the workplace,” the researchers conclude. “Helping employees foster mindful awareness when working digitally could really help overall well-being.”