Overuse of e mail can cause extreme health problems according to new research.
A new study by the Radcati Group discovered that 40% of UK men were spending 2 hours a day dealing with e mails and that 62% of men were sending work e mails out of hours.
“We’re living through an information overload” says psychologist and stress expert Dr David Lewis. “Our studies show that this excess and inescapablility of e mails is a major contributing factor to stress.”
Using leisure time to deal with work e mails enhances stress levels. Our bodeis are not deisgned to deal with consistennt stress. Stress may be teh buzzword of teh decade but it need sto be taken seriously, it is now being blamed for 85% of chronic ilnesses in the Western world.
“It can lead to feelings of depression, anxiety and even mental breakdown. Increased e mailing can also lead to alienation and disenchantment.” says Dr Lewis.
So how do you stop e mails taking over your life? Professor Cary Cooper from Lancaster University says the secret is not to constantly check them and instead impose strict rules. “Only check your e mails every hour at the most” he advises.
“For many there is no way to answer every e mail. It is important to understand this and not feel guilty. Prioritise the important ones, do some others later and forget about the ones that could drown you.”
