Save Yourself! 7 Ways To Prevent Information Overload

Save Yourself! 7 Ways To Prevent Information Overload

Information overload is the problematic process of trying to understand something and make the right decision when we have too much information about what we're trying to decide. It stems from a book, The Managing of Organizations, written by Bertram Gross and published in 1964, but it more likely became part of the public vernacular with the publication of the bestselling Future Shock by Alvin and Heidi Toffler in 1970. It can lead to cognitive overload, which is when the amount of input to a system exceeds its processing capacity, leading to a reduction in decision quality. It can also lead to brain fog, which is a mental wall that leads to irritability and poor thinking. The most important details in this text are the seven ways to avoid information overload, which can reduce one's ability to make good decisions and make us more prone to logical fallacies.

These include unplugging from the computer for a few hours every day, disabling notifications, taking time to do nothing, being lazy, and avoiding newspapers or books. The Buddhists speak of a middle path of moderation, where sobriety means restraint rather than abstinence, and there are ways to avoid overindulging in information. The most important details are that mindfulness practices can be helpful in managing information at work, and that it is important to get everyone involved in creating an information strategy to reduce unnecessary information. Additionally, having a dedicated period during the day to go through correspondences and a spam filter are key techniques for email management. Finally, upgrading project management software can help reduce unnecessary steps.