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In honour of Information Overload Day (yes, it’s a thing), it’s time to take a look at how you – and your team – are interacting with information on a daily basis.

After all, information overload is very much an issue, especially as technology is advancing at breakneck speeds.

“The root of the problem is that, although computer processing and memory is increasing all the time, the humans that must use the information are not getting any faster. Effectively, the human mind acts as a bottleneck in the process,” explains Infogineering, a website offering tools and resources to help address overload challenges.

McGill University professor Daniel Levitin, author of The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload, explains it in a different way to Forbes:

“In 1976, there were 9,000 products in the average grocery store, and now it’s ballooned to 40,000 products. And yet most of us can get almost all our shopping done in just 150 items, so you’re having to ignore tens of thousands of times every time you go shopping,” he says.

So as an employer, how do you combat this overload? After all, addressing information overload can have lasting effects on your employees. It can improve concentration and intelligence, while also reducing burnout and fatigue. It can also eliminate hours of lost productivity; a recent Carleton study found that people spend a third of their time at work on email.

Reducing information overload among your team can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Making a few changes can have a huge impact.

For five ways to reduce information overload with your team, click here.