“Your report is ready.”
Ping.
“Don’t forget this task.”
Ping.
“Here’s a suggested reply.”
Ping.
AI promises to save us time. But if you’re like me, some days it feels like it’s saving time by shredding your focus.
We’ve welcomed AI into our lives as the ultimate productivity partner: summarizing emails, nudging us about deadlines, even predicting our next move. And yet, the more these systems “help,” the more I hear from people who feel on edge, second-guessing themselves, and wondering: Am I really in control, or just managing machines that think they know me better than I know myself?
Let’s explore how AI-driven alerts, automations, and nudges can lighten, or increase, the mental load.
The Promise of Productivity
AI tools were sold to us as cognitive offloading: let the machine handle the grunt work so your brain can tackle what matters. And to be fair, they deliver. Who doesn’t like auto-sorting emails or predictive text that saves you three keystrokes?
These small efficiencies add up. Research from McKinsey suggests AI automation could free 60–70% of an employee’s time on repetitive tasks. In theory, that means less stress and more brainpower for deep work.
But theory and reality often diverge.
The Ping Problem: Alerts That Amplify Anxiety
Every alert feels urgent, even when it’s not. AI tools are designed to anticipate what you might need, but anticipation can feel like intrusion.
- Overthinking: When your AI calendar “suggests” a time for focus, do you feel relief? Or pressure to obey?
- Decision Fatigue: When your inbox sorts itself, you still feel compelled to double-check, just in case it got it wrong.
- False Urgency: Automated nudges make everything seem pressing, even when priorities haven’t changed.
Instead of peace of mind, you’re stuck in a loop of verification and micro-decisions: Do I trust this? Should I override? Did I miss something the AI buried?
That constant checking is classic anxiety fuel.
Automation vs. Agency
Humans crave control. Even when tasks are boring, doing them yourself can feel grounding. AI short-circuits that by deciding for you; and sometimes it’s right, but sometimes it’s too right.
When your device predicts your sentence before you’ve thought it through, you might start doubting whether that idea was yours at all. Over time, that chips away at agency. What began as convenience becomes a subtle form of dependence.
And here’s the kicker: anxiety spikes when we feel a lack of agency. So the very tools meant to calm our cognitive chaos can leave us paranoid, wondering if we’re outsourcing too much of our decision-making.
Mental Load in the Age of AI
Psychologists call this cognitive load, the strain of juggling information, choices, and attention. AI tools reduce load by handling logistics but often add load by multiplying notifications, decisions, and “just-in-case” checks.
Think of it like hiring an overzealous assistant: helpful, yes, but also constantly interrupting. The net result? Your brain is never truly “off duty.”
So… Is It Helping or Hurting?
The truth is messy: AI can both reduce and create anxiety. It depends less on the tool itself and more on how we interact with it.
When AI helps:
- Automating routine tasks you don’t need to oversee.
- Filtering noise without demanding your constant approval.
- Supporting (not replacing) your agency: like offering options rather than dictating choices.
When AI hurts:
- Bombarding you with alerts you don’t need.
- Nudging you into unnecessary decisions.
- Undermining your confidence in your own judgment.
Reclaiming Calm in a Machine-Driven World
Here are a few simple practices to keep AI on your side:
- Audit Your Alerts: Turn off non-essential notifications. If it’s not life or death, it doesn’t need to ping.
- Batch Your Bots: Let automations run, then review them at set times rather than hovering over every micro-decision.
- Pause Before You Click: If an AI tool suggests something, ask yourself: Do I agree? Does this align with my values or priorities?
- Keep Human-Only Zones: Journal on paper. Walk without your phone. Make at least a few decisions without algorithmic input.
Final Thought
AI isn’t out to get us, but it is out to grab our attention. And attention is the fuel of anxiety.
So the real question isn’t whether AI makes us more productive or more paranoid, it’s whether we can stay conscious enough to set boundaries. Because productivity without peace of mind isn’t really productivity at all.
Notifications and alerts can erode focus, but culture plays a big role too. Learn how advocacy changes workplace culture in Mental Health Advocacy in the Workplace.
Prefer listening?
I dive deeper into this topic in my podcast episode – Is AI My Therapist Now?
Listen here (or search Through the Mental Lens on Spotify/Apple).
