Reading Emails Outside of Work can Increase Stress Levels, Study Reports

People who tend to read their work emails during their personal time have higher stress levels and a lower overall wellbeing, a new study reported.

For this study, the research team of psychologists from the University of Hamburg recruited 132 participants. The participants, who were from 13 different workplaces, answered a series of questions per day for eight straight days.

On four of the days, the participants were expected to be available for work and on the other four days, they were not. The team then collected saliva samples to measure cortisol, the stress hormone, from half of the sample.

The team found that when the participants were expected to be available for work, they reported feeling stressed. Their saliva samples also indicated a higher level of stress. The team found that people who did not have to be available for work also had elevated stress levels.

The researchers concluded that since technology connects people more now than ever before, people who are glued to their phones, particularly for work-related reason, have higher stress levels. Higher stress levels translate to a reduced overall wellbeing.

"Job contacts and work availability outside of regular business hours are associated with impaired wellbeing," the researchers wrote.

The study was published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology.