Handling Communication Overload

It’s surprising how many people I come across that are fixated with "being in touch".  I’ve read tweet and status updates that are sent from some obscure places?  Is it really that important? Are we being overloaded?

Communication is now instant and non-stop (if you let it be), we get messages / updates via email, voice mail, fax, instant messages, pager, Blackberry, mobile phone, Facebook, Skype, Twitter and the list goes on.

You receive even more communication during meetings, teleconference, webinars, web conference, and even my favourite being face to face. 

Even before we get to the office in the morning and, for many of us, well into the evening, we are inundated with incoming communications from these sources and more.  It seems as though during every moment someone is trying to inform, teach, solicit to, solicit from, question, update, delegate to, warn, disagree with and sometimes even entertain us.

This tidal wave of incoming communication can be overwhelming, leaving us feeling fatigued, irritable and/or distracted.  It can negatively impact everything from our work performance to how we interact with our families and friends.  It can result in something as minor as forgetting to buy milk on the way home to as major as being involved in an accident. In other words, communication overload can be harmful to our health.

While for the most part we are unable to control or lessen the amount of incoming messages we receive each day, we can develop strategies for dealing with them more effectively rather than letting them engulf us.

Incorporating the following tips can enable you to nip communications overload in the bud:

• Schedule your time better in advance.

 Are you checking your email between every other task you perform? Break that habit by trying to limit your trips to the inbox to specific time periods during the day, such as an hour at the beginning and end of the day, or 10 minutes at the top or bottom of each hour. You’ll be amazed by how much more time you’ll have to accomplish things that matter more to you.  

• Cloak your instant messaging / Skype screen name.

If that’s not possible, put up the "Do Not Disturb" sign on your instant messenger once in a while to carve out some uninterrupted time. During this span, also let your phone calls go to voice mail and text messages go temporarily unanswered.  These actions are particularly important during times when you’re interacting with people face to face; except in rare circumstances, live interaction should always take precedence over technological devices.  Watch how your interpersonal relationships both at work and home soar when you begin to give people more undivided attention.