With the ever-increasing availability of information alongside its ease of access, it is easy to get caught up in the web of consuming it in excess and eventually getting an “overdose” of it.

This is reflected when we attempt to process a wide variety of information from various sources at the same time and it seems to be rather destructive. Your mental space becomes overtasked, and you struggle to sort out the numerous tabs open in your mind.

Well, I have categorized this phenomenon into two types: “productive” and “unproductive” information overload… Uhmm, don’t bother checking them up. I made those up myself:)

“Productive” Information Overload

2020 was an exceptional year in many regards. The pandemic that rocked the world forced a range of reactions from society, some positive and some negative. One of such reactions was that many people, confined to their homes, took to virtual courses and learning skills online.

As is consistent with Economic laws, this increase in demand required a balance in supply. It wasn’t long before such services flooded every social space across the internet – from the regular platforms for online courses to Zoom, from Instagram to WhatsApp, name it! Anywhere a group of people could be gathered virtually, courses held.

Even more interesting was the fact that some of the courses were given out for free and others on huge discounts in a bid to encourage those who were on the fence, not sure if they were interested in learning something online or not.
Anyone keen on personal development must have seen that as a great opportunity to learn all the things they find interesting.

Storytime…

I was there myself. And like an excited kid at a large buffet party with all sorts of assorted dishes to choose from, I opted to have everything on my plate at once. Soon enough I had gathered courses on photography, videography, programming, piano training, and a bunch of others. All of this while trying to adapt to taking college courses online.

I guess you can predict the outcome:)

It was chaotic!

In a few months, I was overwhelmed by all the things I had taken on. It seemed like I was worse off than I was at the start. I could hardly make any headway on any of the numerous projects I was on, and my academics suffered as well. Referring back to the kid at the buffet party analogy, it is safe to say I had a stomach upset:)

There’s another prominent source of such mental strain that is widely common and highly addictive as well.

“Unproductive” Information Overload

The culprit here is no stranger. It’s that old friend that can be comforting, but when it hangs around too long and too often, it becomes toxic. It’s the media space — news and social media alike.

This sector also recorded a spike as a result of the pandemic. Stuck in their homes and curious to know how the world was faring, some folks were permanently tuned to the news and other media outlets. Reports also filtered into the social media spaces constantly and everyone was on their toes. I personally had to detox a few times from all the fuss to save my sanity.

At every given point in time, there are a ton of information going about — emails, social media convos, news, and what have you. The urge to “stay updated” and not miss out on trends or reports puts us at a risk of unhealthy information overload.

Dealing with Information Overload

It may seem very important to stay in the loop of things, and the fear of missing out (FOMO) feeds this desire. But it is important to take control of our information consumption so it doesn’t cripple us in the long run.

Don’t Bite More Than You Can Chew

Even though our brains are said to be limitless theoretically, in practice, there’s only so much it can process efficiently per time. Keyword – “Efficiently”.
Aside from running the risk of overloading our mental processors by taking on too many things at the same time, we are unable to give maximal focus to either of them when running them concurrently. The more tasks we commit to, the less we can commit to each task.

For more efficient results, give a greater part of your concentration to one task/project per time. Going deep on that one thing is better than digging shallow in multiple areas. With such scattered focus, it is difficult to achieve a state of flow on any task.

After establishing a particular task/project, it is easier to take on another and build on it while the other thrives with minimal inputs. That way, you’re in control of both your energy dispensation and your results.

Regulate Media Consumption

Quite obvious yeah? Yet, so difficult to do. Social media activities are always on the rise and it can be tempting to be on top of every news and trend that comes up. It’s an endless stream and to always stay updated means to constantly be drowning in information that may or may not be useful (mostly isn’t).

Don’t get me wrong, it is good to stay updated on happenings and events, but it is also important to be intentional about what to stay updated on and know where to draw the line. That way, you’re in control of the information you take in.

Learn to Take Breaks and Say “No” When Needed

Taking breaks when you feel overwhelmed doesn’t set you back in time. On the contrary, it saves you time spent on doing inefficient work. Sometimes, it is necessary to pause, gather yourself together, and regain control of your mental space. This involves reviewing everything you have on your plate, eliminating what isn’t necessary, and putting your system in order.

Also, learn to say “no” to extra tasks and projects when you have your hands full. It can be difficult to do, but it comes in handy when you need to preserve your sanity.

You need a clear head to focus on things that really matter to you, and you can only devote the required focus if your mental space isn’t clouded.