Employees who are obsessed with checking their e-mail boxes are putting their mental health at risk, as well as the mental health of their colleagues. That at least is according to research conducted by organisational psychologist Emmy Russell of the Kingston Business School. As a part of her research, she has identified the "seven deadly sins of e-mail" that cause excessive stress.
Whilst in the era of expensive and slow dial-up connections to the internet people usually checked their e-mails once a day, today's ubiquitous connection tempts us to stay logged in to our e-mail non-stop. We feel an increasingly stronger need to respond immediately. Some employees are even experiencing delusions, believing their mobile phone has just vibrated or a signal announcing the arrival of a new e-mail has beeped. In reality, however, they have not received any message.
Emmy Russell focused on analysing the communication of 28 e-mail users from different companies. She monitored habits affecting workers' lives positively as well as negatively. Seven negative habits, which she describes as the most dangerous, should be noted and treated with caution. It is impossible to avoid them completely but it is also possible to become addicted to them.
Seven deadly sins of e-mail with regard to the mental health of workers
1. E-mail ping pong - long exchanges of e-mails focused on a single topic
2. Handling e-mails after hours
3. Handling e-mails in the company of other people
4. Complete disregard for incoming e-mails
5. Requesting a read receipt
6. Replying immediately after receiving a message
7. Automatic replies
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