Physiological Impact of Email

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The Physiological Impact of Email

An overlooked aspect of the workplace is the physiological impact of email.

Loughborough University study

A study carried out by the University of Loughborough found that effects included increased blood pressure, heart rate, cortisol rates and candidates’ perceived stress.
This was accompanied by additional wider implications of email abuse, with examples of management via email as opposed to face-to-face meetings, social detachment of staff and lots of emails to confirm discussions or meetings had taken place in a ‘cover-your back’ approach to duties.

Impact on work productivity

In addition, email interruption took a greater-than-expected amount of time, which impacted work productivity, an aspect somewhat overlooked by research study:
- If you are checking emails during lessons because you feel there isn’t a choice, how is your teaching impacted as a result?
- If you are reading over a deadline-enforcing email at home, how might this affect your mood, or your ability to focus on other things as a consequence?

Future Work Centre study

A study carried out by the Future Work Centre found that there was a ‘strong relationship’ between use of the ‘push’ feature that automatically updates emails on devices as soon as they arrive and perceived email pressure: ‘People feel compelled to check emails as they arrive, even if they know they aren’t required to do so.’.

Poor strategies are quick fixes

The study identified that implemented strategies, which didn’t actually address the core issues behind how email left colleagues feeling, generated quick fixes but were not sustainable within a matter of months.

No remedy for stress levels

More significantly, ‘email-free time’ did not provide a remedy to the stressor levels.
- In the most toxic of schools with a high email count (a recent Twitter poll showed that emails in some schools were in excess of 40 a day), email-free time would just be putting off all the fleeting ideas or messages sat drafted in outboxes.

1Conversation & Connection

1.1Email

1.1.1Physiological Impact of Email

1.1.2Appropriate Use of Email

1.2WhatsApp

1.2.1Damaging Impacts & Advice for WhatsApp

1.3Praise & Thank-Yous

1.3.1Giving Less Praise, Better

2Being Human: Effective Relationships in Schools

2.1Dealing with Colleagues, Roles & Resolution

2.1.1Choose Your Crowd

2.1.2Changing Hats

2.1.3Resolution & Compassion

2.2Creating Professional Safety Nets

2.2.1Create Something to Belong To

2.3Educational Leaders

2.3.1Problems with Leadership in Schools

2.3.2The Qualities of the Most Effective Leaders

2.4Connections in the Classroom: Student Systems

2.4.1Behavioural Systems

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