The secret of happiness? Simply turn off your email app

THE SECRET to happiness is to turn off your smartphone email app according to psychologists, who warn that constant updates have become a “toxic source of stress”.

Technology that puts people at the continuous beck and call of their emails has created a culture where people feel they must be constantly available for work, according to research.

As a result, an “unwritten organisational etiquette” has become ingrained in the workplace and employees have developed habits which are bad for their emotional well-being.

Studies have found that continuously checking and reading emails due to a “push notification” feature which alerts users to new messages even when they are not in their mail app, produces tension and worry.

Experts recommend that switching off the mail app on your mobile device will alleviate anxiety both in and out of the office.

The authors of the report from the London-based Future Work Centre, which conducts psychological research on people’s workplace experiences, said emails are a “double-edged sword” that provide a useful communication but can also be a source of stress.

Urging users to seize control of their email instead of being ruled by it, they said: “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. In other words, use email when you intend to, not just because it’s always running in the background.”

The centre surveyed almost 2,000 working people across a range of industries and occupations in the UK about the pros and cons of using email. It found that two of the most stressful habits were leaving email on all day and checking mail early in the morning and late at night.

There was a strong relationship between use of the push feature and perceived pressure resulting from emails. Dr Richard MacKinnon, the lead author, said: “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 well-being.”

Email pressure was highest among younger people and steadily decreased with age, according to the findings presented at the annual meeting of the British Psychological Society’s Division of Occupational Psychology. Those working in IT, marketing, public relations, the internet and media were most affected.

Experts suggest managing this stress by limiting how often the app is checked, setting “out of office” replies and recognising that if a matter is urgent, employers will probably call.

‘Emotional reactions to messages and the unwritten etiquette around email combine into a toxic source of stress’