How many times a day do you touch your phone as against shaking a human hand, hugging a friend or relative or even stroking your dog or cat’s fur? How many hours do you spend staring at a screen – big or small – instead of into a person’s face? How much of your week is spent using AI instead of thinking issues through yourself or talking to colleagues?
We’ve entered our human and attention deficit era. Companies desperately want AI tools to increase staff productivity but so far the results are inconclusive. Human resource professionals and academics also report an unexpected side effect among workers due to overuse of technology and a lack of human connection – “brain fry”.
Employees who use several AI tools have described a buzzing feeling or a mental fog, with difficulty focusing, slower decision-making and headaches. AI brain fry is described as mental fatigue from excessive use or oversight of AI tools beyond one’s cognitive capacity.
Could “grannycore” – a Gen Z term referring to the sort of activities their grannies engaged in, such as knitting, baking, gardening and other hands-on activities – be the antidote companies need to prescribe?
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Technology use at work is probably higher than ever, says Caroline Reidy, head of HR solutions at NFP, but we might be outsourcing the wrong tasks to AI.
“Previously a first draft was a way to fine tune your thinking, decipher the best options and decide why. Now we’re reliant on AI to do all that for us and we’re just doing the tweaking. Critical thinking, innovation and curiosity are greatly diminished.”
At work, AI is everywhere from search engines and social media to the software we use for documents, spreadsheets and presentations. “People used to do flipcharts and brainstorming together. Now it’s ‘did you ask Copilot or Claude’? Those natural breaks from technology to scope things out with colleagues are not happening as much now,” says Reidy.
“Many companies are very forcefully pushing employees to use AI tools, says Karen O’Sullivan, a partner at Accenture in Dublin. “People have to do it to stay on top of their jobs but it’s creating a level of dependence and stress when they’re made to interact with it whether they want to or not.”
Excessive use and oversight of AI tools can overwhelm employees and reduce workplace productivity. The number of AI tools used does not always lead to increased productivity either, according to a survey of 1,488 full-time US-based workers by the Boston Consulting Group.
“While respondents reported increased productivity when using three or fewer AI tools, when they said they used four or more, self-reported productivity plummeted,” it found.
The business cost of AI-associated mental strain is higher than you might think: increased employee errors, decision fatigue and a higher intention to quit, the researchers found.
Tagging out
Technology can make people feel anxious and lonely and increase their stress levels, which means they’re not as focused, efficient or energised as they could be at work or in their personal lives.
To combat this, some people are unwittingly turning to activities that use a different part of their thinking process and connect them to others who share their interests. “More people are taking up crochet, chess, tennis, paddle, pool and not realising why. When you probe it, they say their brain needs a break from screens. We use AI at work during the day and then we’re scrolling on the phone the rest of the time,” says Reidy.
Screen-free “grannycore” activities help improve employees’ disposition in many surprising ways, including active meditation, digital detox, cognitive improvements and creative fulfilment.
O’Sullivan is a case in point. A decade ago, she asked herself “what can I do that helps me to relax and gives me a feeling of producing something?” The answer was knitting, something she’d been taught as a young child by her grandmother.
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Her job as a partner in Accenture requires a great deal of talking and thinking, using PowerPoint slides, but there’s no physical manifestation of her efforts, like a carpenter has, when it’s over.
“I really enjoy the process of knitting and like to knit with intention. I think about the person I’m knitting for and I engage my brain in a different way.” When she finishes the process, she has a beautiful, unique handmade gift and a sense of pride.
Leaders and employees need to build in time away from screens, especially when they need to make a challenging decision or undertake a difficult task, according to workplace research. O’Sullivan has taken this advice to heart. When the video call conference camera is off, or she’s thinking through an issue, she might just be found knitting another colourful jumper, scarf or socks.
Why do hands-on activities like these help us so much with mental work?
They enhance active meditation: crocheting, model making and pottery type hobbies use repetitive, rhythmic motions that can lower cortisol levels and move you into a restful and more restorative state.
They support a digital detox: tactile, analogue hobbies like baking, gardening and even jigsaws require physical movement and attention away from your screens so it’s easier to be in the present moment.
They promote cognitive fitness: engaging in new challenges with activities such as cards, the Asian tile game, Mahjong – my personal favourite – or even a new sport can stimulate the brain and protect against cognitive decline, improving memory and attention span.
They allow creative fulfilment: learning to make, repair or upcycle things (cooking, woodwork, crafts, building or furniture restoration) gives us a wonderful sense of accomplishment, a new set of skills and supports circularity and sharing in our communities.
Finally, they connect humans: hobbies, games and sports often come with a built-in community. It’s nice to relax with like-minded individuals and talk about something besides work, the latest outrage whipped up on social media or the sorry state of the world.
Support, not diktats
Too many companies are missing out on the incredible business transformation potential of AI by forcing it on to employees at one extreme or leaving it to chance at the other. Staff are left to work out how AI applies to their role on top of their existing responsibilities. No wonder they’re exhausted and disengaged.
“Companies need to help people maximise the benefit of AI by identifying where it adds value but also recognising that it has limitations for collegiality and the meeting of minds. They need to remember the importance of deep thinking and collaboration in harnessing curiosity and innovation,” says Reidy.
Workplaces need to build this awareness and clarity into AI training, managing, ways of working, communications with colleagues and in redesigning roles for this new age.
“Tools that require less intense attention or working memory, which instead support creative mind wandering, foster social engagement or scaffold skill development can produce even more business value but sustainably, while encouraging innovation, fostering growth and sparking joy for users,” the Boston Consulting study found.
Until then, peace of mind is what’s required after engaging with these tools. O’Sullivan, who is also completing a masters in psychotherapy, says we all need time to just sit and exist. Knitting and other grannycore activities can help with that.
“Your brain can be in any time period – the past, present and future – but your body is always in the now. We often forget that.”
Margaret E Ward is chief executive of Clear Eye, a leadership consultancy. margaret@cleareye.ie
