Stefan Mileschin

Future Work Centre, which conducts psychological research on people’s workplace experiences, has warned that regular email updates are doing peoples’ heads in.

The report warns that regular email updates cause stress and people need to 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. Use email when you intend to, not just because it’s always running in the background.”

The team surveyed almost 2,000 working people across a range of industries and occupations in the UK about using email.

They found that two of the most stressful habits were leaving email on all day and checking emails early in the morning and late at night.

Higher email pressure was associated with more examples of work having a negative effect on home life, and home life having a negative impact on performance at work.

Lead author Dr Richard MacKinnon said: “Our research shows that email is a double-edged sword. While it can be a valuable communication tool, it’s clear that it’s a source of stress or frustration for many of us.

http://www.techeye.net/news/email-updates-cause-stress