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Digital Exhaustion: Simple Rules for Reclaiming Your Life
A revelatory examination of why you’re feeling so worn out—and how to reimagine your relationship with your devices.
Technology may make our lives easier, but it’s also a major cause of exhaustion. You know the The aimless scrolling. The constant notifications filling your screen. The sinking realization that no matter how many messages you respond to, how many posts you read, or how much data you sort through, you can never stay ahead of it. Unplugging is not a long-term solution. In today’s world, if you want to keep your job, participate in society, and maintain meaningful relationships, you can’t escape your many apps and devices.
The good news is that there is an achievable path to reducing your digital exhaustion. Paul Leonardi studies how real people use technology. He offers healthier approaches that won’t fragment your attention and deplete your cognitive and emotional reserves. Many of the changes are simple yet surprisingly effective, like waiting longer to respond and making sure you’re using the right tool for your task. He also explains the emotional traps that lead us into dysfunctional relationships with our technology, and how to escape them.
With Leonardi as your guide, you can build stronger connections, be more creative and productive, and create the mental space to reclaim your energy and your life.
Technology may make our lives easier, but it’s also a major cause of exhaustion. You know the The aimless scrolling. The constant notifications filling your screen. The sinking realization that no matter how many messages you respond to, how many posts you read, or how much data you sort through, you can never stay ahead of it. Unplugging is not a long-term solution. In today’s world, if you want to keep your job, participate in society, and maintain meaningful relationships, you can’t escape your many apps and devices.
The good news is that there is an achievable path to reducing your digital exhaustion. Paul Leonardi studies how real people use technology. He offers healthier approaches that won’t fragment your attention and deplete your cognitive and emotional reserves. Many of the changes are simple yet surprisingly effective, like waiting longer to respond and making sure you’re using the right tool for your task. He also explains the emotional traps that lead us into dysfunctional relationships with our technology, and how to escape them.
With Leonardi as your guide, you can build stronger connections, be more creative and productive, and create the mental space to reclaim your energy and your life.
352 pages, Hardcover
Published October 7, 2025
44 people are currently reading
471 people want to read
About the author
Paul Leonardi
8 books4 followersPaul Leonardi is a leading expert in digital transformation, the future of work, and social networks.
Paul’s insights come straight from the front lines. For 20+ years, Paul has advised Fortune 500 companies, startups, and nonprofits on how to build smarter communication, foster innovation, and manage the people side of new tech. Whether he’s coaching executives or speaking to thousands at a user conference, Paul brings clarity, energy, and a sense of humor to complex topics like AI, remote work, and digital fatigue.
Paul has turned his research into practical ideas that have shaped thinking in Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and (his personal favorite) Car & Driver. His award-winning book, The Digital Mindset (co-authored with Tsedal Neeley and published with Harvard Business Review Press), offers a playbook for professionals navigating a tech-driven economy.
His newest book Digital Exhaustion (Riverhead Press) helps people learn to re-orient to their technologies in ways that improve their capacity for collaboration, innovation, and happiness whether at work or in their everyday lives.
At UC Santa Barbara, Paul chairs the Department of Technology Management, where he holds the Duca Family Endowed Chair. He also founded the university’s Master of Technology Management program, a graduate degree designed to help professionals harness the power of new technologies to build better businesses, products, and services.
Paul earned his PhD from Stanford University, and worked previously as a faculty member at Northwestern University. He lives with his family in Santa Barbara, CA.
Paul’s insights come straight from the front lines. For 20+ years, Paul has advised Fortune 500 companies, startups, and nonprofits on how to build smarter communication, foster innovation, and manage the people side of new tech. Whether he’s coaching executives or speaking to thousands at a user conference, Paul brings clarity, energy, and a sense of humor to complex topics like AI, remote work, and digital fatigue.
Paul has turned his research into practical ideas that have shaped thinking in Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and (his personal favorite) Car & Driver. His award-winning book, The Digital Mindset (co-authored with Tsedal Neeley and published with Harvard Business Review Press), offers a playbook for professionals navigating a tech-driven economy.
His newest book Digital Exhaustion (Riverhead Press) helps people learn to re-orient to their technologies in ways that improve their capacity for collaboration, innovation, and happiness whether at work or in their everyday lives.
At UC Santa Barbara, Paul chairs the Department of Technology Management, where he holds the Duca Family Endowed Chair. He also founded the university’s Master of Technology Management program, a graduate degree designed to help professionals harness the power of new technologies to build better businesses, products, and services.
Paul earned his PhD from Stanford University, and worked previously as a faculty member at Northwestern University. He lives with his family in Santa Barbara, CA.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 21, 2025
Book Review: Digital Exhaustion: Simple Rules for Reclaiming Your Life by Paul Leonardi
Rating: 4.5/5
Initial Impressions
Leonardi’s Digital Exhaustion is a timely antidote to the overwhelm of our hyperconnected era. Unlike typical digital detox guides, this book acknowledges the impossibility of disconnecting entirely—instead offering pragmatic strategies to reshape our relationship with technology. Blending behavioral science with relatable anecdotes, Leonardi dissects the exhaustion triad (cognitive, emotional, and relational drain) with clarity and compassion.
Emotional Resonance & Reactions
Reading this felt like a wake-up call. Leonardi’s analysis of how we reflexively check emails or doomscroll—often mistaking busyness for productivity—hit uncomfortably close to home. His solutions, however, sparked relief. The chapter on strategic delay (waiting to respond to messages) was revelatory, as was the insight that using fewer tools more intentionally can reduce fatigue. While some sections leaned heavily into corporate contexts, the universal applicability of his rules (e.g., right tool for the task) kept me engaged.
Strengths
-Realistic Solutions: Rejects unrealistic abstinence in favor of actionable tweaks (e.g., time-blocking notifications) that respect modern work demands.
-Research-Backed: Draws on studies about attention fragmentation and tech-induced anxiety without drowning readers in jargon.
-Holistic Approach: Addresses not just productivity but emotional well-being, like how performative responsiveness erodes self-worth.
Constructive Criticism
-Corporate Bias: Examples skew toward knowledge workers; more diversity in case studies (e.g., caregivers, creatives) would broaden appeal.
-Depth on Emotional Traps: While identified, some psychological patterns (e.g., FOMO) could benefit from deeper unpacking.
-Visual Aids: Infographics summarizing rules or self-assessment tools would enhance practicality.
Final Verdict
Digital Exhaustion is a lifeline for anyone drowning in pings and screens. Leonardi’s blend of empathy and evidence makes this more than a productivity manual—it’s a blueprint for preserving humanity in the digital age.
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for the review copy.
Rating: 4.5/5 (A smart, compassionate guide to thriving—not just surviving—in our tech-saturated world.)
Rating: 4.5/5
Initial Impressions
Leonardi’s Digital Exhaustion is a timely antidote to the overwhelm of our hyperconnected era. Unlike typical digital detox guides, this book acknowledges the impossibility of disconnecting entirely—instead offering pragmatic strategies to reshape our relationship with technology. Blending behavioral science with relatable anecdotes, Leonardi dissects the exhaustion triad (cognitive, emotional, and relational drain) with clarity and compassion.
Emotional Resonance & Reactions
Reading this felt like a wake-up call. Leonardi’s analysis of how we reflexively check emails or doomscroll—often mistaking busyness for productivity—hit uncomfortably close to home. His solutions, however, sparked relief. The chapter on strategic delay (waiting to respond to messages) was revelatory, as was the insight that using fewer tools more intentionally can reduce fatigue. While some sections leaned heavily into corporate contexts, the universal applicability of his rules (e.g., right tool for the task) kept me engaged.
Strengths
-Realistic Solutions: Rejects unrealistic abstinence in favor of actionable tweaks (e.g., time-blocking notifications) that respect modern work demands.
-Research-Backed: Draws on studies about attention fragmentation and tech-induced anxiety without drowning readers in jargon.
-Holistic Approach: Addresses not just productivity but emotional well-being, like how performative responsiveness erodes self-worth.
Constructive Criticism
-Corporate Bias: Examples skew toward knowledge workers; more diversity in case studies (e.g., caregivers, creatives) would broaden appeal.
-Depth on Emotional Traps: While identified, some psychological patterns (e.g., FOMO) could benefit from deeper unpacking.
-Visual Aids: Infographics summarizing rules or self-assessment tools would enhance practicality.
Final Verdict
Digital Exhaustion is a lifeline for anyone drowning in pings and screens. Leonardi’s blend of empathy and evidence makes this more than a productivity manual—it’s a blueprint for preserving humanity in the digital age.
Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for the review copy.
Rating: 4.5/5 (A smart, compassionate guide to thriving—not just surviving—in our tech-saturated world.)
November 22, 2025
Far more granular and practical than previous works I have read on the phenomena, such as Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. Has things for people who cannot simply unplug from digital tools. Recommend.
December 4, 2025
Digital exhaustion has been on the rise, with major upticks ~2010, when social media exploded, and ~2020, when COVID took over. Despite our reliance on digital technology and its many benefits in improving our connectivity and productivity, we have grown weary of its drain on our time and other resources, to the detriment of our personal relationships and peace of mind. We all need expert advice to help us cope with the constant barrage of annoying and/or less-than-helpful news stories, unsolicited advice, product/service offers, and other types of distractions.
According to the publisher’s summary, “Paul Leonardi maps out an achievable path to reducing your digital exhaustion [apart from unplugging, which is at best a short-term solution], drawing on extensive research to show how real people can use technology in healthy ways. These are realistic approaches that won’t fragment your attention and deplete your cognitive and emotional reserves. Many of the changes are simple yet surprisingly effective, like waiting longer to respond, making sure you’re using the right tool for your task, and being more conscious of the time and energy we allocate to our devices. He also explains the emotional traps that lead us into dysfunctional relationships with our technology, and how to escape them.
Leonardi tells us that in his research tracking 12,000 workers across 12 countries over 2 decades, from 2002 to 2022, the average digital exhaustion score went from 2.6 to 5.5, on a 0-6 scale. Exhaustion isn’t weakness: It’s physics. Like a phone battery that loses capacity, draining faster and faster, as it ages, our brains lose the ability to stay sharp all day. Our cognitive battery drains faster and faster as we age. Attempts at interpreting ambiguous messages or posts are particularly exhausting.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, multi-tasking isn’t a valuable skill; each context switching is a drain on our cognitive battery and a waste of the tiny reserve of energy, after accounting for vital functions such as breathing, heartbeat, and temperature regulation, that can be used for active thinking by our power-hungry brain. Leonardi has tracked 20 teams at three Fortune-500 companies, finding that the average knowledge worker toggles between apps and Web sites 1200 times per day. The cumulative exhaustion from all those energy-draining attention switches is mind-boggling.
Here are some of Leonardi’s pieces of advice.
- Be intentional: Don’t open windows and chase links capriciously.
- Use devices and apps sparingly: Pick a few and ditch the rest.
- Do not send e-mail replies with quick, incomplete messages.
- Do not view boundaries as limitations, but as energy preservers.
- Block windows of time for deep work, with silenced notifications.
- Use AI as time-saver or liberator, not as amplifier of exhaustion.
According to the publisher’s summary, “Paul Leonardi maps out an achievable path to reducing your digital exhaustion [apart from unplugging, which is at best a short-term solution], drawing on extensive research to show how real people can use technology in healthy ways. These are realistic approaches that won’t fragment your attention and deplete your cognitive and emotional reserves. Many of the changes are simple yet surprisingly effective, like waiting longer to respond, making sure you’re using the right tool for your task, and being more conscious of the time and energy we allocate to our devices. He also explains the emotional traps that lead us into dysfunctional relationships with our technology, and how to escape them.
Leonardi tells us that in his research tracking 12,000 workers across 12 countries over 2 decades, from 2002 to 2022, the average digital exhaustion score went from 2.6 to 5.5, on a 0-6 scale. Exhaustion isn’t weakness: It’s physics. Like a phone battery that loses capacity, draining faster and faster, as it ages, our brains lose the ability to stay sharp all day. Our cognitive battery drains faster and faster as we age. Attempts at interpreting ambiguous messages or posts are particularly exhausting.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, multi-tasking isn’t a valuable skill; each context switching is a drain on our cognitive battery and a waste of the tiny reserve of energy, after accounting for vital functions such as breathing, heartbeat, and temperature regulation, that can be used for active thinking by our power-hungry brain. Leonardi has tracked 20 teams at three Fortune-500 companies, finding that the average knowledge worker toggles between apps and Web sites 1200 times per day. The cumulative exhaustion from all those energy-draining attention switches is mind-boggling.
Here are some of Leonardi’s pieces of advice.
- Be intentional: Don’t open windows and chase links capriciously.
- Use devices and apps sparingly: Pick a few and ditch the rest.
- Do not send e-mail replies with quick, incomplete messages.
- Do not view boundaries as limitations, but as energy preservers.
- Block windows of time for deep work, with silenced notifications.
- Use AI as time-saver or liberator, not as amplifier of exhaustion.
December 7, 2025
Exactly the book I was looking for to help me make sense of my and others’ evolving relationship with technology, particularly this year when I’ve been in more of a desk job role that I have found tends to follow me home. The Part I overview of exhaustion from a sociology lens was insightful on how the interplay between Attention, Inference, and Emotion modulate our sense of exhaustion. Part II with the rules for resilience, while simple, were full of illustrative and interesting anecdotes including examples of research the author has conducted in this space. I immediately tested out Rule 1: Stop Using Half Your Tools and have been more cognizant of which contexts to apply Rule 2: Make a Match, Rule 3: Batch and Stream, and Rule 4: Wait. One Hour. One Day. One Week. Continuing to work on Rule 6: Act with Intention and Rule 8: Be Here, Not Elsewhere. Part III had some additional frames on managers, parents, and (for all) working with AI in the future which were also quite intriguing. All in all would highly recommend to everyone and especially those looking to improve their relationship with technology and reground themselves!
October 8, 2025
Finally, a book about using technology written by a tech expert! I thought this was a great example of data-informed advice for managing the siren call of our devices. I appreciated the nuance and writing style.
October 30, 2025
A very useful and practical examination of why interacting with our devices can cause fatigue, and advice on how to combat it. Some of the parts of the book got into the weeds a bit of various studies, and I found myself skimming some of the more detailed descriptions, but the writing was clear and easy to understand. The "rules" for adjusting technology use to decrease fatigue felt very practical and acknowledged that it isn't realistic to completely "detox" from technology altogether. The discussion of AI was also nuanced and informative. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews