Online Overload: The Importance of Finding Digital Balance

With modern technology and communication pathways, we are more digitally connected than ever . . . but that might not be such a good thing. One metric is silently crushing our well-being performance: digital culture. Since 2020, there has been an 18% increase in individuals working beyond normal working hours. The Digital Wellness Institute found that 22% of an organization’s burnout and 12% of employees’ self-reported depression can be attributed to a lack of digital balance.

May 2, 2025 was Digital Wellness Day, a time for us to focus on building a more balanced relationship with technology. During a panel discussion presented by the Wellness Alliance and the Digital Wellness Institute entitled Why Digital Culture Matters: The Missing Metric in the Employee Experience, wellness leaders shared the importance of digital balance in organizations as well as strategies for preventing digital burnout in employees.

Promoting Rest for Success

In this age of hybrid and remote work, we’re constantly available via phone, email and interoffice messaging platforms, and then using our downtime to scroll social media. It is no wonder people are experiencing online overwhelm. The fact is, we are living in a digital world, and for many, being online is an essential part of work. Although we are typically online longer in our jobs than in the past, we are getting less actual work done. How do organizations address this issue and design work so employees can thrive, not just survive?

The answer may seem counterintuitive, but employers need to focus on rest for increased success and productivity. Digital wellness doesn’t always equal connectivity—Individuals need protected, uninterrupted time away from work. Solid boundaries with time away from email and the pressure to constantly be “available” can make for a truly restful experience, allowing employees to return to work (and their computers) more refreshed and focused.

Top-Down, Bottom-Up

As with many other wellness initiatives, leadership buy-in is key for ensuring employee participation and reaching positive outcomes. Employees may be uncomfortable setting boundaries on connectivity to work, even on vacation. This is why leadership needs to model the desired wellness behaviors. Actions speak louder than words, and by setting their own boundaries with work and demonstrating healthy relationships with technology, leaders permit employees to do the same. This is the “top-down” part of a “top-down, bottom-up" approach to digital balance.

The “bottom-up” aspect of this approach is a bit harder to implement because it relies on individuals making choices for their own well-being. While leaders can promote disconnection during vacation and offline hours, it is up to each individual to capitalize on this permission and truly be restful.

If you are looking to reevaluate your own relationship with technology, ask yourself: Is my current relationship with technology contributing to my well-being? If not, what do you want that relationship to be? How are you going to change it? Hint: If your relationship with technology is not bringing you closer to your optimal, thriving self, it may be time for a change. Technology should be a net gain, not a net drain, on your personal well-being.

Looking Forward

Burnout is a systemic issue, not a personal failure. In order to create change, we need to rethink the system, not just redecorate. This may mean redefining what success looks like, thinking outside of the box and skewing traditional workplace norms. Ask individual employees what they need instead of assuming their needs are all the same. In trying new strategies, choose key performance metrics that your organization cares most about—These are your north stars. Think: How do we go about addressing those north stars? What are we measuring against? Testing these hypotheses needs to be an ongoing collective effort. Workplace wellness is a team sport, not a checkbox. Lead with data, measure your success, and continue to address the underlying causes of workplace dissatisfaction, which just might include digital balance.

Resources

View the full 2025 Digital Wellness Day Summit livestream at https://www.digitalwellnessday.com/ to learn more.

Nina Hersher, M.S.W., is the founder and chief learning officer for the Digital Resilience Lab and Digital Wellness Institute. She is also a keynote speaker for the 2025 Annual Wellness Summit! Don’t miss her session entitled Online Oxygen: Your Guide to Digital Resilience. Learn more at www.annual-wellness-summit.org.

The Wellness Alliance in partnership with the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans present the 2025 Annual Wellness Summit from August 19-21 in Austin, Texas.

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  Rebecca Plier

  PR/Communications Specialist

  IFEBP

  Favorite Foundation Product: The Talking Benefits podcast! What an engaging way to get timely benefits insights.

  Benefits-related Topics that Interest Her Most: Mental health, diversity, equity and inclusion, and workplace wellness.

  Personal Insight: When Rebecca isn’t diving headfirst into the world of benefits, she enjoys organizing her monthly book club and expanding her vinyl record collection.