PHC Med Staff

DID YOU KNOW…?

• We are distracted 54% of the time

• During a procedure: 56% use a cell phone

• 49% send text messages

• The longer the disruption, the longer it takes recover focus: a 1 minute interruption= 12 minute recovery

• Disruptions result in about 40% efficiency loss

THE STRESS OF MULTI-TASKING

• Multitasking overwhelms the prefrontal cortex

• 2 to 7 hours of continual playing of video games causes prolonged depression of the frontal lobes for days afterwards

• Digital multitasking is like gaming: Gaming can be so intense that the brain can no longer function

• Multitasking shrinks the brain

• Prolonged stress can be harmful to the Prefrontal cortex, which regulates learning and attention, and Hippocampus, which regulates memory and learning

PHYSICIAN BURNOUT

• 42% burnout for physicians: a 20% rise over the past

• 45-plus in age; jumps to 50% burnout

• Burnout is more common in women

• Physicians spend about 21% of the working time multitasking: Correlated significantly with stress

• Physicians lacked awareness of how their own multitasking impacts their performance and overestimated the number of patients they are seeing

THE E-MAIL TRAP

• The worst thing you can do is check it throughout the day: Do not check it first thing in the morning or right before sleeping

• The average person checks their phone 100 times a day: about every 5-7 minutes

DIGITAL ADDICTION

• Being online is addictive

• Dopamine is released when we receive a notification from our phone

• We are using our phones as a form of escape throughout the day

WHY WE KEEP CHECKING OUR PHONES

• We are trying to stimulate our brains

• We are developing tolerance for how we are about to be stimulated

• We need more to be engaged. Things are becoming boring more quickly for us.

HOW CAN WE CHANGE?  STRATEGIES

How do we limit / contain our exposure to technologies?

1. Set boundaries and limits around digital devices: no more than 4 times a day. More starts to increase to addictive patterns: The more you do it, the more you want to do it.

2. Check emails for half an hour only

3. Don’t start day with e-mails

4. Focus on one task at a time: mono-tasking

5. Take technology breaks: Use a 47-minute rule, abstain for at least 4 hours a day

6. Before going to bed, have zero screen time!

SUSTAINMENT

Strategies that nurture positive long term brain benefits:

1. Regular off time

2. Have a substitute for night quality stimulation

AND MORE….

People are most productive working 25 hours /week

• Working 3 days is as productive as working for 5 days

• Stress goes down and engagement goes up