Data Overwhelm
Take a Break from Data Overwhelm
“We’re all overloaded with too much information”
“My boss went away for a week and came back to 2500 emails.”
“We’re drowning in information.”
According to Stephen A. “Tony” Batman, writing in Accounting Today, Information pollution is one of the top five foundational pain-creators in 21st century America. He points out how this impacts decision making and problem solving: in “information pollution that Americans are unable to sort through, in order make better decisions about all aspects of their lives.”
Sound familiar? Everyday I talk with people in widely different industries—from mortgage lending to pharmaceutical training –– and they’re all experiencing the crunch. Call it overload, overwhelm, or paper war. It falls under the big heading of “Information fatigue syndrome.”
Psychologist David Lewis first used the phrase “Information Fatigue Syndrome” for the condition that, he says, is caused by unrelenting exposure to excessive information.
“Information Fatigue Syndrome had emerged as a direct result of the information revolution. Symptoms might include the paralysis of the analytical capacity, constant searches for more information, increased anxiety and sleeplessness, as well as increasing self-doubt in decision-making.
—Nick Hudson, “Managers ‘Suffering from Info Overload,” Press Association Newsfile, October 14, 1996
When it comes down to it, working or retired, coach or coachee students or teachers, patients or physicians—you’re likely to be dealing with too much information. This is both a problem and an opportunity. A problem if we don’t face it. An opportunity if we take on the challenge to find new solutions, new tools and new skills to help manage the torrents of information.
Take A Data Break!
Even Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates is reported as taking a break from all the data. “Bill Gates takes a “think week” away from his computer.” according to Marsha White, “Confronting Information Overload,” Journal of School Health, April 1, 2000
Many articles refer to taking a break, a data fast, a time-out from information. Here are a couple of my favorites:
“Go on what David Shenk calls “data fasts”. Take a week in the country away from all the noise to clear your head. Take a big novel with you, preferably by an austere Russian from the 19th century.”
—Nick Paton Walsh, “Information burnout — is it the new flu?” Sunday Herald Sun (Melbourne, Australia), April 23, 2000
“Cleanse your system with “data fasts.” Every now and then, turn everything off. It will help you evaluate its real value.”
—Joy Rothke, “Poking holes in the Net,” The San Francisco Examiner, May 19, 1997
If you’re wondering how to manage that, take it in baby steps. Here are six mini-steps to taste the “data retreat” in bite size chunks:
6 Mini Data-Retreat Strategies
Even if you can’t take a week off, here are six things you can do:
1. Move away from the computer. Stand up. Walk away. Stretch.
2. Stop at least once an hour. Get a drink of water. A cup of tea. Stop and hydrate.
3. Give your eyes a rest. Look up from close work. Look around and look outside. Shift your focus to see something in the distance. Do this several times to allow your eye muscles to relax from fixed concentration.
4. Set the alarm clock for a scheduled break. Experiment with setting the alarm for 60 or 90-minute increments. When the alarm goes off, act on it! Stand up, walk away, and stretch. Give your mind and body a rest. Watch and support your own concentration time.
5. Make a cluster map to get a quick overview of all the data you have to deal with. To learn more about practical mapping techniques, get SOS: Stress Options and Solutions a practical guide to manage too much data.
6. Install software such as “Coffee break” to enforce your time-out sessions. Coffee break turns off your computer for you! It’s intense but keep breathing. It’s just a time-out. After your screen goes blank, it reminds you to take the time to stretch, relax, and move while you are taking a data break.
If you’re saying, “I could have used this yesterday!” you’ll find more easy-to-implement tools to use today in the just released e-book, SOS. In SOS: Stress Options and Solutions you’ll find practical tips and techniques for getting in, around and through the data deluge.
Click here for more information.
P.S. Know someone who could benefit from taking a stress break?
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