WTF is ping fatigue? (and why it hurts productivity)
Modern workplaces require staff to use a bunch of digital platforms and channels to communicate with one another. And they are constantly being barraged by notifications and people trying to get a hold of them.
In order for Effi Mai, founder of social media marketing agency Six20Two, to effectively do her job, she has to use Microsoft Teams, three different email accounts, Google Chat, LinkedIn direct messages, WhatsApp and her own phone for calls and texts to get in touch with clients. “I can’t remember the last time I could sit down and do a task without someone needing me,” Mai said.
When workers constantly switch tasks, they deplete their cognitive resources, making it harder for them to re-enter focused work where they can think critically and complete their work. That’s led to what many now refer to as “ping fatigue.”
Productivity is top of mind for employers and HR professionals today, and they should set policies that encourage employees to check notifications in blocks – rather than responding instantly – to ease this stressor and productivity suck, workplace experts say.
Naturally, there is always the option to mute many notifications, only that can cause more stress once they’re reactivated given they’ve had time to build up.
Ping fatigue speaks to a larger issue around “always-on anxiety,” said Hannah Yardley, chief people and culture officer at Achievers, an HR platform. Always-on anxiety is when employees feel like they need to always be active, working with no breaks, she said. Hybrid and remote work has worsened this with workers more scattered and often across different time zones.
“It’s a stressful time for everyone in the workplace. Employees need to know they’re supported, and HR departments and employers need to ensure their teams don’t feel the pressure to constantly be online,” Yardley said.
“When employees are encouraged to practice work-life balance, positive results come naturally. Listen to your people, think about why your team is feeling always-on anxiety, and act on it preventatively so employees don’t fear ‘going yellow’ in the first place,” she said, referring to one’s active status on Microsoft Teams.
James Ware, a “flow coach” who specializes in helping teams optimize focus and productivity by understanding the neuroscience of attention and flow, imparts a couple of tips to clients that employers should allow staff to adhere to.
He suggests bath notifications, which are scheduled at set intervals, like once every hour. Other tools, like airplane mode and do not disturb, can also help staff set boundaries and maintain a deep-focus work mode.
Another method is the 25-5 rule, where staff work for 25 minutes uninterrupted, then allow five minutes to check notifications or messages. “Breaking work into focus blocks followed by short breaks aligns with the brain’s natural rhythms for attention,” Ware said.
Employers can also set designated times or meeting-free hours where notifications are discouraged across teams to encourage deep focus time. Ultimately, employers should set policies that encourage employees to check notifications in blocks, rather than responding instantly.
And not all pings are created equal. Prioritizing what is actually urgent versus what isn’t can help prevent staff from feeling overwhelmed. Messages on Slack and Teams can be tagged by priority level, so workers know what needs immediate attention, Ware said.
Corina Leslie, PR manager at software company ZeroBounce, uses the focus app on her computer to eliminate overwhelming notifications. She usually works in 45-minute intervals with notifications blocked “so that I don’t miss anything urgent but still have uninterrupted time for work,” she said.
Her daily goal is three hours a day of deep-focus work. “I don’t always hit it, but when I do, it feels like an accomplishment, and I’ve noticed my productivity has really improved,” she said.