Chat apps draining workplace focus – study

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — A new global survey of knowledge workers by Economist Impact reveals that being constantly connected through workplace chat apps is severely reducing employees’ ability to focus and contributing to burnout. 

The study found that disruptive chat messages cause the average worker to lose 157 hours annually – nearly 4 hours per week – to toggling between tasks. Experts say this “toggling tax” is taking a major toll on productivity and wellbeing

“A lot of what we need to do in modern knowledge work is deep focused, concentrated work,” Assistant Professor Libby Sander of Bond University told ABC.

“If we’re not actively taking steps to insulate ourselves from distractions, it has a huge effect.”

With the average Australian knowledge worker unable to sustain even an hour of uninterrupted work, productivity is suffering.

Sander advises that the key is to “switch off” by silencing phones, disabling notifications, and minimizing communication platforms. 

The Centre for Corporate Health’s Rachel Clements agrees, advocating for designated “deep work time” without digital disruptions. 

She also recommends scheduling “mindful gaps” between meetings to allow mental resets, which are critical for cognitive recovery.

“Your brain needs something active and intentional to switch off, even if it’s only 10 minutes,” she says.

“[Technology has] been a wonderful asset in many ways but now we’ve become too hyper-connected to work and people cannot switch off,” Clements added.

Both the study and experts urge cultural change in workplaces through reduced platforms, increased focus time respect, and preservation of mental well-being through digital disconnection.