Managing Work

Nearly every week a new research article reports on the link between information overload and stress. Not just stress in the workplace, but in life in general. Of course stress can be most acute at work where we are in the direct firing line of huge amounts of constantly changing information. Quality of life suffers all round. I don't think anybody disputes this.

What few reports cover is what to do about this situation.

I first experienced the negative effects of information overload after starting a business, having a family and becoming involved in the needs of my children, one of whom is badly disabled. All this happened in short order. This was the start of my journey towards reversing the effects. At the time I didn't know this. All I knew was I felt bad, most of the time. And I didn't like it.

My initial goal was simply to survive. Later it became being able to feel better most of the time. For quite a while I was happy with feeling better most of the time. But time after time I would become overwhelmed. I noticed this was not just happening to me. Many other people also were troubled that life was supposed to be good but we felt bad most of the time.

In the face of a good quality of life, how was it we could we never enjoy life?

Jumping to the heart of the issue: The key to reversing the process is choosing where we store information.

Just in case you didn't quite hear that, it is choosing where we store information. We do have a choice, once you become aware of how your memory works.

Information stored in short term memory is linked to survival instincts. In turn these instincts prepare our body's flight or fight responses. The chemical cocktail either response invokes creates a state of hyper vigilance which places additional pressure on the short term memory. Information kept in your short memory has survival impact potential, and when 'triggered' by the environment it stimulates your body.

In contrast, information stored in your long term memory is not linked to your chemical response system. So the goal is simple, move information from your overloaded short term memory, to your long term memory and the bad feelings diminish. It takes some time, and a little practice. Once you start feeling better you become aware of how the process works for you and it becomes a natural part of your life style, not just at work.

The guardian of the process is a function of the brain we call attention. The choice of where information is stored lies in how you use your attention. Working with your attention instead of against it reverses the process of being overloaded.

So the goal of AIM is not to manage stress, nor to eliminate it, but to identify how this mechanism works for you and to take control of your attention.

The way this is done is to help you route more information into long term memory while only utilizing short term memory for what it is good at. It is good at helping you get through an immediate difficult situation.

Freeing up attention makes you feel good, helps you achieve more and most importantly, lets you enjoy life.