The Costco Connection

BY SUJA NATARAJAN

WHILE IT’S fun to have the world at our fingertips, all that information can overwhelm the brain. With easy access to information, many of us suffer from information overload, or “infobesity,” a term coined by James Morris, dean of the School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University. Just as binge eating can lead to obesity, compulsive seeking of information causes information overload that hampers productivity.

Fear of missing out (“FOMO”)—a phenomenon observed and named by Dan Herman, an authority on consumer behavior and CEO of strategy consulting firm Competitive Advantages—compels people to keep pace with information. A study published in Translational Issues in Psychological Science (September ;;;;) links anxiety over missing out to mental and physical problems and issues with mindful attention.

Many other experts have addressed
the issue. Costco member Deborah Searcy,
a member of the management faculty at
Florida Atlantic University, confirms that
humans have limited information-holding
capacity and says our brains become over-
whelmed when we try to do too many
things at the same time. New Jersey–based
Costco member and neurosurgeon Dr.

Mark McLaughlin says, “Information
overload affects the perception of self-con-
trol and adds to stress.”
Similarly, the American Psychological
Association says the human brain is not
designed for heavy multitasking, and even
the short mental blocks resulting from
switching between tasks can cause as much
as ;; percent loss of a person’s productiv-
ity. Dr. David Lewis, a British psychologist,
calls the negative effects of information
overload “information fatigue syndrome,”
which include symptoms ranging from
irritability to hypertension.

The question, then, is how to combat information overload. Here are some tips.

Prioritize. Determine what’s important
and skip all information that does not con-
nect with your immediate goals. Once you
have established priorities, streamline
communication channels and associate
one primary source with it. For example,
set up preferred communication tools for
internal communication, client communi-
cation and critical communication.
Dallas-based Costco member Stefan
Taylor, the founder of adhdboss.com, a web
resource for people with ADHD, uses social
media for business purposes only. He also
monitors email subscriptions and mobile
push notifications that distract him.

Discipline. Experts caution not to subscribe to or follow people/trends on social media just because you see other people do it. Aim for the right information rather than quick info. Be willing to unsubscribe or unfollow sources that are no longer useful to you. Filter and cull your social media connections.

Disconnect. New York City–based Peter Shankman, a media entrepreneur and author of Faster Than Normal (TarcherPerigee, ;;;;; not available at Costco), turns off every alert while at work. “Phone, beeps, alerts, email—nothing is live. When I’m in deep work, nothing but my word-processing program and myself are live. As a result, my productivity (and revenue) is up over ;;; percent in three years,” he says.

Fight digital distraction with digital tools. Orlando, Florida–based Tina Willis, a personal injury lawyer, uses technology to tame infobesity. “Apps like Cold Turkey and AppDetox [which restrict device usage during specific times of the day] have virtually eliminated the problem of distraction and improved my productivity,” says Willis.

Single-tasking. Work in short bursts and focus on a single task. Searcy confirms that we become more efficient if we focus on one task, and if we multitask, our overall results slow down.

Collective change. Organizations can enhance productivity by adopting strategies that control digital downpour. Discourage multitasking, create interrup-tion-free zones and no-email days, have short meetings and change email policies to simplify the work environment. For example, Jason Cummins, owner of All Hours Air in Sparks, Nevada, says his team grappled with a lot of information— graphs, emails and calculations—which affected productivity. Cummins noticed increased productivity when he reduced the information channels, which gave his team more time to digest information.

As McLaughlin notes, “We will never be able to tame the influx of information completely, so maintaining our priorities, finding a rhythm and sticking to it is important.” C