A survey of 2000 workers by the psychological research group, Future Work Centre, in London has found that leaving email on all day and checking emails early in the morning or late at night are two of the habits that most contribute to stress.
The research found that pressure to check emails out of working hours had a negative effect on home life, and in turn, had a negative impact on a person’s performance at work.
Lead author Dr Richard Mackinnon praised email as a valuable communication tool but suggested the research showed that users need to seize control of their email, instead of being ruled by it. “You may want to consider launching your email application when you want to use email and closing it down for periods when you don’t wish to be interrupted by incoming emails” said Dr Mackinnon.
“The people who reported it being most useful to them also reported the highest levels of email pressure. But the habits we develop, the emotional reactions we have to messages and the unwritten organisational etiquette around email, combine into a toxic source of stress which could be negatively impacting our productivity and wellbeing.” said Dr Mackinnon.
Are you finding that constant access to email is impacting on your stress levels?
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