Nurturing employee wellbeing in the digital age

The digital landscape has transformed the way employees connect and collaborate, driven by innovation and the pandemic. However, this increased reliance on digital platforms has also brought about surges in stress, anxiety, and burnout among workers worldwide.

Furthermore, the rise in online activities has led to an escalation of malicious cyber threats, emphasising the crucial need for digital security. As a cyber security expert, I firmly believe that fostering digital wellness in the workplace is paramount to ensuring employees’ physical and mental health.

Understanding digital wellness

Digital wellness revolves around establishing a healthy balance between online and offline activities, allowing individuals to maintain focus, prevent exhaustion, and avoid distractions. It’s also worthwhile to realise that most breaches are down to human error, so educating staff about cyber security is good for digital awareness, as being responsible for a cyber breach would impact confidence and workplace culture and cause further unnecessary stress to any employee.

By embracing digital wellness practices, employees can enhance productivity and overall wellbeing in today’s fast-paced digital era.

Below are seven practices that workplaces can implement to foster it.

1. Educating employees on digital hygiene

It is crucial to educate your team about best practices in digital hygiene. Organise training sessions, recommend webinars, or provide informative documents to empower your colleagues with robust digital security measures. This knowledge not only safeguards the organisation from cyber threats but also contributes to employees’ holistic wellbeing, as they can be confident about online security.

2. Minimising distractions

Constant notifications can significantly disrupt an individual’s focus and productivity. Encourage your team to utilise features like the do-not-disturb mode for apps and communication channels, creating a serene space for deep concentration. Additionally, advise them to schedule dedicated blocks of time for email management to avoid constant interruptions and reduce stress.

3. Streamlining communication channels

Promote effective and efficient communication practices within your organisation. Introduce platforms like Teams or Slack for internal communications, as they offer streamlined and interactive features, reducing time consumption compared to traditional email exchanges. Optimising communication channels allows employees to allocate more time to substantive tasks, enhancing overall productivity.

4. Nurturing digital order

A cluttered and disorganised digital workspace can impede productivity and mental wellbeing. Encourage your colleagues to regularly declutter their digital folders and files, fostering a clean and efficient digital environment, as it positively impacts focus and overall wellbeing.

5. Prioritising ergonomics

Provide comprehensive instructions on ergonomic IT equipment usage to support employees’ physical health. Healthy posture, optimal screen positioning and adequate lighting all play an important role. Educate your team on recommended practices, such as maintaining an appropriate distance from the monitor, using blue light filters, and employing ergonomic laptop stands to minimise strain and promote physical wellbeing.

6. Leveraging digital wellbeing apps

Google and Apple have developed tools and features that promote digital wellbeing. Encourage your team to leverage these resources. Google’s Digital Wellbeing app, for instance, offers features like Wind Down, which turns the screen grayscale and activates Do Not Disturb mode to reduce distractions. Apple provides similar features that enable users to set limits on device or app usage and gain insights into their screen time patterns.

7. Implement additional measures

To further support digital wellness, limit non-essential communication, reducing stress and distractions. Consider minimising online meetings and designating a day without meetings each week to alleviate video call fatigue. Dark panels and optimised screen settings can be employed to lower eye strain. Encourage employees to be mindful of mental health impacts, such as endless scrolling on social media platforms, which can lead to anxiety, ADHD, and depression.

As organisations navigate the digital age, prioritising digital wellness is crucial for ensuring employees’ wellbeing and productivity. By integrating digital hygiene practices, fostering a healthy digital work environment, and leveraging tools like wellbeing apps, employers can support their workforce’s physical and mental health and security.

Employers and organisations that embrace digital wellness, empowering their employees to thrive in the digitally interconnected world, will be employers of choice as we move ahead in the new business and workplace landscape.

By Parvinder Walia, APJ president, ESET