Not long ago, I sat at my desk staring at the little red dots scattered across my screen - notifications, unread messages, unfinished tasks, a dozen digital nudges demanding attention. I felt that familiar tightening in my chest, the quiet whisper: You're behind again. Behind who? Behind what? I hadn't stopped working; in fact, I'd been working most of the weekend. Yet somehow my computer, my email, and the constellation of apps around me had already sprinted several steps ahead.
A survey from Adaptavist has revealed that 64% of knowledge workers have had their lives negatively impacted by technology in the last year. Three-in-ten said they regularly experience digital overwhelm, and 41% suffer stress and anxiety from notification overload and platform juggling. Almost a quarter (21%) looked for a new job, and 5% quit as a direct result. Many UK knowledge workers are also experiencing stress and anxiety as a result of pressure to be connected outside of working hours - 19%.