Information Overload

Presenter

Marcey Rader

Marcey Rader is a Lifestyle Trainer specializing in helping high achievers climb the ladder without

sacrificing their health. She has degrees and multiple certifications in the health and wellness field.

She worked as an Operations Manager and Process and Technologies Trainer in the Clinical Research Industry before becoming certified as a Productive

Environment Specialist to take her skills to the masses. She wrote the book Hack the Mobile

Lifestyle: 6 Steps to Work Well and Play More! and coaches individuals and businesses to be healthy

and productive.

Learning Objectives

• Understand what contributes to information overload

• Apply tips and tools for effectively managing information

• Identify resources available to assist you in combating information overload

Can You Relate?

Information Overload

What is “information overload”?

• Information overload occurs when we attempt to deal with more information than we are able to effectively process to bring about sensible decisions.

Information overload results in:

• Delays in making decisions

• Making the wrong decisions

Did You Know?

"A weekday edition of The New York Times contains more information than the average person was likely

to come across in a lifetime in 17th century England."

R.S. Wurman, Information Anxiety(written in 1990)

Survey

On average, how much time during the day do you think you spend sifting through information (e-mails, junk mail, research, news, social media updates, etc.)?

A. 1 – 3 hours

B. 4 – 6 hours

C. 6 – 8 hours

D. Greater than 8 hours

Symptoms of Information Overload

• Increased cardiovascular stress

• Weakened vision

• Increased confusion and frustration

• Impaired judgment based on overconfidence

• Decreased benevolence to others

Survey

How well do you feel you manage information coming from various sources?

A. I am able to successfully manage information very well

B. I am able to successfully manage information sometimes

C. I find it difficult to manage information

How to Manage Information

1. General tips

2. Technology tools and apps

3. Strategies for combating distraction

General Tips

1. Assess what is necessary:– You do not need to read everything.– You do not need to keep everything.– You do not need to print everything.

2. Determine the minimum number of e-mail accounts you need (e.g., one business, one personal, one “junk mail” account).

3. Set limits for yourself, and respect others’ limits.

4. Organize your work areas.

Eliminate Clutter Activity

Versus

General Tips for the Workplace

1. Determine workplace communication best practices.• E-mail

– Encourage brief messages.– Use specific subject lines.

• SharePoint, blogs, or wikis

2. Do not have meetings without agendas, moderators, or a minutes taker.

3. Do not leave your inbox open all day.

Technology Tools and Apps

1. Calendars

2. To do/task lists

3. Reminders

4. Auto-routing and color coding in e-mail

5. Folders

6. Asana

Survey

Do you use a smartphone (e.g., iPhone, Android)?

A. Yes

B. No

Technology Tools and Apps

1. Bill-pay apps and reminders

2. Dropbox or Google drive for managing files

3. Smartphone tools

4. Other helpful apps:– Evernote– Inbox Pause – Keeper– Pocket– Remember The Milk– Unroll.me

Attention Span

• Average attention span in 2000 = 12 seconds

• Average attention span in 2015 = 8.25 seconds

The attention span of a goldfish is 9 seconds…

Strategies for Combating Distraction

1. Establish a set pattern to your work day (e.g., Pomodoro technique)

2. Manage incoming phone calls

3. Take short meditation or mindfulness breaks to help your focus

4. Disconnect from technology

5. Work on self-discipline

Take Action!

1. Write down one new tip, tool, or app you will try this week.

2. Write down one strategy for managing distractions that you will try this week.

Resources

Contact your EAPor

Work-Life Program for

Assistance

Thank You!

Questions?

Works CitedCirillo, F. (2006). The Pomodoro technique. Retrieved June 24, 2015, from

http://www.baomee.info/pdf/technique/1.pdf

Edmunds, G. (2015, April 21). Edmunds: Taming the world of information overload. Retrieved June 10, 2015, from http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/edmunds/2015/04/21/entrepreneurial-tightrope-organize-information-clutter/26159681

Levitin, D. (2015, January 18). Why the modern world is bad for your brain. Retrieved June 10, 2015, from http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jan/18/modern-world-bad-for-brain-daniel-j-levitin-organized-mind-information-overload

Phillips, S. (2009, September 24). Confess your symptoms of information overload and addiction. Retrieved June 10, 2015, from http://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2009/sep/24/information-overload

Statistic Brain Research Institute. (2015, April 2). Attention span statistics. Retrieved June 22, 2015, from http://www.statisticbrain.com/attention-span-statistics

Works CitedTartakovsky, M. (2013, January 21). Overcoming information overload. Retrieved June 10,

2015, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/01/21/overcoming-information-overload

Tattersall, A. (2015, May 13). How to cope with information overload. Retrieved June 10, 2015, from http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/13/opinions/surviving-information-overload/index.html

Wurman, R. S. (1990). Information Anxiety. New York: Bantam.