by Mark Schiffman, M.A.
When you see the word “email,” what is your emotional reaction? For many of us, email engenders anxiety. A recent survey of almost 2,000 workers in England by the Future Work Centre, found that while email could be a valuable communication tool, it is also a source of stress and frustration. In the survey, participants who felt that email was the most useful, were also the ones who reported that it created the highest levels of pressure.
Results of the survey indicated that people who received “push” notifications for emails felt increased email pressure. In addition, people who leave their email running in the background all day also felt increased email pressure. Finally, people who checked their emails as soon as they woke up and as the last thing they did before they went to sleep perceived an increase in email related pressure.
From an REBT perspective, email is fertile ground for spawning irrational beliefs:
- “If a new email comes in, I must see it right away.”
- “If someone asks me to respond, I must respond right away.”
- “I can’t stand not checking my e-mail every few minutes.”
- “Not having e-mail access is awful.”
- “If I e-mail someone, I must get an answer right away.”
- “If he does not respond to my e-mail right away, he is condemnable.”
Assessing the presence of these irrational beliefs and changing them to more rational beliefs can go a long way to creating healthier email habits and simultaneously decrease negative emotions associated with email.
