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ANGLAIS - Elearning - Bien-être numérique - Module 5

IMS team

Created on September 30, 2024

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Transcript

DIGITAL WELL-BEING

Module 5: Disconnecting
This module was funded by the Oeuvre Nationale de Secours Grande-Duchesse Charlotte as part of the “Digital Well-Being for Youth” project.

OBJECTIVES OF THIS MODULE

In this module, you will learn about the cognitive fundamentals of recovery and disconnecting, as well as their causes and consequences. You will finish by learning about the best practices for improving efficiency on a daily basis.

CONNECTION TIMES

As you have seen in previous modules, the brain is a formidable information-processing machine. However, like any other organ in the human body, it cannot make intense efforts over time, which is why it needs to be given time to recover. This recovery can take place over two time scales:

Over the week or longer

Over the day

MENTAL FATIGUE

The brain starts to malfunction when it is working on the same activity for too long. That's what we call mental fatigue!

Two hypotheses have been put forward to explain the onset of mental fatigue:

  • The brain expends resources processing a single type of activity and loses efficiency as its resources are depleted;
  • Over time, the level of motivation to do the same task decreases, which reduces efficiency.
In all cases, the consequences predicted by the researchers are the same, as are the actions required to limit this phenomenon.

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MENTAL FATIGUE

Mental fatigue occurs regardless of the task, as long as it requires cognitive activity, however slight. Whether it's after 1 hour of reading, 3 hours of video games, 2 hours of meetings or driving, your efficiency will drop. However, the characteristics of the task will influence:

  • the time taken for mental fatigue to set in (a task with a high cognitive cost is likely to trigger mental fatigue more quickly)
  • the seriousness of the consequences (fatigue will 'only' cause you to lose the thread of your reading, but it can cause a road accident)

In a work context, even though the subject of your tasks may change (you deal with different files, you talk to different people, etc.), the nature of your activities is very similar! You spend a good part of the day processing information in front of your computer, or you have one meeting after another during which you talk or listen to others. For the brain, these are ultimately quite similar activities, which contribute to the onset of mental fatigue. That's why it's important to take time out during the working day!

TAKING A BREAK

TAKING A BREAK

So taking a break is THE solution to reducing mental fatigue and its negative effects. But be careful... Not all breaks are created equal! A good break is a break that is:

ZOOM FATIGUE

As we saw earlier, mental fatigue is largely due to the omnipresence of digital tools at work, which occupy the brain over long periods. But there is one method of communication that seems to generate particular fatigue at work: video-conferencing! The concept of "Zoom fatigue" was theorised a few years ago during the Covid-19 crisis, indicating that the way video-conferencing occupies our brain exhausts its resources and creates intense fatigue. According to research on the subject, this phenomenon has 3 causes:

The sequence of meetings

Information overload

Multi-tasking

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RECOVERY

As well as recovering throughout the day to regenerate the brain's resources, it's important to have time to recover between working days, weekends, holidays, and so on. It's all about balance!

So if, on a daily basis, you work late at night, you work at weekends, you check your e-mails just before going to bed, etc., you are allowing your need for recovery to build up, which can have serious consequences for your health!

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RECOVERY

RECOVERY

If accumulating a need for recovery has these consequences, how can it be avoided? Well, we need to occupy our brain as much as possible with cognitive and physical activities that are not work-related. For example, lying on the sofa is not the answer. These activities are:

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BEST PRACTICES TO Improving disconnection

Fatigue accumulated over the course of the day and between working days can have serious consequences. Fortunately, there are some good practices for regenerating our bodies so that we can stay healthy and efficient:

Don't log on outside working hours

Take regular breaks at work

Follow bedtime rituals to encourage sleep

Enjoy activities outside work

Reduce the amount of time you spend on your phone

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BEST PRACTICES TO Improving disconnection

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

We're going to assess what you've learned with a few summary questions.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

We're going to assess what you've learned with a few summary questions.

DIGITALWELL-BEING

Module 5: Disconnecting

WELL DONE! YOU'VE COMPLETED THIS MODULE!

This module was funded by the Oeuvre Nationale de Secours Grande-Duchesse Charlotte as part of the “Digital Well-Being for Youth” project.
A complex physiological factory

These moments are very important because they allow the body to release tension and eliminate what is known as the "need to recover". When you're at work, your body produces adrenaline and cortisol (the stress hormone) to keep you active and efficient. But these hormones need to be eliminated from the body to allow it to recover. So it's a good idea to give your body moments when you're not working. So it's a good idea to give your body moments when you're not working. It's a bit like an athlete at the gym: if they work one muscle area during a session, they'll work another area the next session. On the other hand, if they work the same area several sessions in a row, they risk muscle strain!