Has 2019 got you burnt out?

In 2019 more people are talking about how to better attain a sustainable work-life balance.

Tech companies especially have realized the importance of prioritizing the well-being of their employees. It’s been proven that it’s not about the hours you put in but the energy you have to truly be productive at work.

This is where experiments like the 4-day work week, no schedule workdays and meetingless Wednesdays have come to emerge.

The workplace is evolving for the better and we have our friend, technology to thank. The more we embrace technology in the workplace the happier we can be during our day.

1. Stress at the office is NOT inevitable in the digital age

People argue that our stress levels have increased since the tech boom. We’re constantly connected to our devices, making us available at a click of a button. Since we have our devices to assist us, we’re accepted to get more tasks done than before or we’re deemed “unproductive” or “lazy”. With the Internet, we are inundated with information and apps causing our attention spans to decrease immensely in comparison to those of our parents. The fast-paced environment we’ve created for ourselves automatically drives our bodies into fight or flight mode. We’re so busy we feel like we can’t stop to take a breath or we’ll fall behind.

Thanks, technology.

Though, it isn’t the increase of technology in the workforce that’s the source of stress but rather the misuse of technology. Studies have proven that access to technology at work reduces stress. In a survey, 72 percent of workers with low-stress levels associate their productivity with their access to technology and 64 percent of respondents said that they found automation to help reduce workload and stress. In today’s digital age, workers are able to do a better job with the support of advanced technology and in turn, make workers more confident at work.

2. The truth about the negative impacts technology has on workplace communication

We’re all told that with the rise of social media we don’t know how to communicate anymore.

Does your heart skip a beat when you get a phone call?

75 percent of American Millennials and Gen Z prefer texting than talking on the phone. So how does this impact how we communicate a work?

With technology, co-workers can communicate without being in the office. Video conferences, emails and access to fast-speed internet make working remotely a breeze. Technology enhances our ability to stay connected, thus making the workplace more flexible and increases cross-functional engagement. Communication tools like Slack, Trello and Atlassian make staying up to date with colleagues hassle-free.

There’s no denying technology has changed how we interact with one another. As long as we create boundaries and ensure we emphasize the importance of face-to-face communication in conjunction with digital communication the positives of technology’s impact on workplace communication outweigh the negatives.

3. Why technology isn’t always about being more productive at work

When it comes to work, everyone talks about productivity, if you’re not productive at work you’re not useful for the company. With the advancement in technology, we’ve become more productive and efficient in how we work. Yet being more productive doesn’t necessarily equate to more happiness.

The more productive we are, the longer the list of tasks we have. We live in a competitive world where we have to deliver as much work as quickly as humanly possible. This relationship between technology and productivity isn’t sustainable. Instead, we need to acknowledge that even though we can do more in a day doesn’t mean we should work ourselves to the brink.

The other side of productivity is the organization. Technology helps us stay better organized at work. Apps and tools to divide tasks create a better environment for workers so they can work more efficiently. In a study, 78 percent of people say they want to have technology at work and 71 percent are in favour of using technology to replace manual tasks and believe it will enhance their job.

When you feel at ease at work to be able to do your job well, your happiness at work increases and so does your productivity. But you have to be careful not get stuck in the hamster wheel. Technology is supposed to help you do your job better not obligate you to work more.

4. Technology helps make collaborating with teammates less painful

Collaborating at work is incredibly efficient now that we can automatically divide tasks and know what everyone is doing with a click of a button. Atlassian’s Confluence is a great tool for everyone to get an opportunity to participate and engage with one another on specific tasks. These tools better define everyone’s role making teamwork more effective.

It’s proven that diversity and technology are both crucial in increasing a company’s innovation. This means that we’re collaborating more than we used to and we can use technology to facilitate this change.

Learn how to stop technology from negatively impacting your happiness

As we’re reaching the end of the year most of us are exhausted from work overload. But we can’t blame the technology for our stress levels at work.

In a study from the Pew Research Center, more than 47 % of experts believe that technology helps us more than harms us. And 92 % believe there are actions WE can take to reduce the harm technology could cause us.

When gearing up for 2020 think about how you can be happier at work. You’ll notice once you prioritize a healthy relationship with your technology at work you’re one step closer to a happier workplace.