Why employers must match UK schools and prioritise digital wellness
The UK Government is considering how they could start to make British schools smartphone-free. The rationale is clear: to protect students’ mental health, encourage healthy friendships and create learning environments where pupils can focus and bring their full attention to their schoolwork. As someone who has spent the past decade helping adults understand the need for balanced, sustainable digital behaviour, I see a parallel shift happening in workplaces. The way people use their workplace and personal technology shapes performance, teamwork, stress levels and the overall culture of an organisation.
As young people’s school environments evolve, now is the moment to support parents and other adults to make positive adjustments to their own digital habits. In 2026, digital wellness is no longer a personal preference, it is a strategic business priority.
The evidence for digital wellness at work
Our digital habits influence cognitive capacity, emotional wellbeing and our ability to collaborate. The Great Place to Work 2025 study highlighted a significant drop in employee wellbeing and stated the digital environment to be a key contributor to this change for staff. In a 2024/25 UK government survey, workers highlighted technology‑related interruptions as a significant barrier to productivity. Digital wellness directly addresses these pressures.
In 2025, participants in my digital wellness programmes reported meaningful improvements in their digital habits when given the tools and space to reflect on whether their tech was improving their work and their lives.
Before they begin the training, the picture is very different. The majority of people are already struggling with digital intensity:
91% experience digital presenteeism at work
83% feel overloaded by their workplace tech
54% are starting to turn to AI rather than a colleague
60% send non urgent emails out of hours
Source: Laura Willis Digital Wellness 2025
These figures show the scale of the challenge and the urgency for change.
Once people begin to bring real intention to their digital behaviours the shift is significant:
81% felt their focus at work had improved
83% felt meeting quality had improved
67% felt less overloaded by workplace tech
81% were feeling the benefits of screen free breaks
91% felt their work life balance had improved
Source: Laura Willis Digital Wellness 2025
These individual shifts translate into organisational benefits, healthier teams, better working practices and more sustainable performance.
Work performance: focus creates better results
Improved focus is one of the clearest outcomes of digital wellness work. When people are less distracted, they produce higher quality work, complete complex tasks more efficiently and make fewer mistakes. They also have more cognitive space for creativity and problem solving. Reducing digital noise gives teams the mental clarity they need to do their best work.
Teamwork: better meetings and better collaboration
Participants consistently report that meeting quality improves when digital habits improve. People are more present, more engaged and more thoughtful in their contributions. They listen better and make decisions more effectively when they are not juggling notifications or switching between tasks.
Wellbeing and stress: reducing cognitive load
Feeling overloaded by workplace tech is a common source of stress. When people learn how to create healthier rhythms, reduce unnecessary notifications and take genuine screen-free breaks, their nervous systems have space to reset. This leads to better emotional regulation, improved sleep and a greater sense of control.
Neurodiversity: designing for difference
Digital wellness is not only a productivity strategy, it is an inclusion strategy. People experience technology differently. Neurodivergent individuals may be more sensitive to sensory overload, rapid communication or cluttered digital spaces. Creating predictable rhythms, clearer expectations and calmer digital environments supports everyone, but it is especially valuable for those most affected by digital intensity.
AI: supporting humanness, not replacing it
As AI becomes part of everyday work, people need guidance to use it in ways that enhance their humanity rather than diminish it. Healthy AI use should reduce cognitive load, support creativity and bring clarity rather than more noise. It should create space for human judgement, empathy and nuance.
Without intentional boundaries, AI can become another source of overwhelm. With thoughtful support, it becomes a tool for focus and meaningful work. Employees need to be trained on the ways and means of creating the healthiest possible relationship with their AI.
A clear case for change
Healthy digital habits are not a luxury - they are a foundation for workplaces where people can thrive and do their best work. Digital wellness is not about reducing screen time, it is about creating digital cultures that support high quality work, effective collaboration, sustainable performance and healthier people.