Being Contacted By Your Boss On Holiday Is More Stressful Than Bungee Jumping
Why Being Contacted By Your Boss While On Holiday Is The Worst
PA/ The Huffington Post UK
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Holidays are meant to be a chance to unwind, but with technology making staying connected to work more and more possible, there can sometimes be an unwelcome visitor chilling with you by the pool.
Your boss.
According to a study, being bothered by the boss while on holiday is more stressful than bungee jumping.
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Communication with the office while away is also more bothersome than being stood up on a date, the study from lastminute.com found.
It study was based on a survey of 2,000 at-work adults plus stress tests on 16 participants conducted by neuropsychologist Dr David Lewis, of Mindlab International.
The findings showed that more than two-thirds (68%) of those surveyed had been contacted by their boss while on a break.
Speaking to HuffPost UK Lifestyle, Neil Shah, founder of the Stress Management Society said: "‘The always on, always connected, society that we find ourselves living in 2014 has its drawbacks. We rarely have time to switch off or disconnect.
"The first and last thing most of us do is check our smartphone. We wake up to a tsunami of information and it continues building during the day.
"We rarely get time away from it – to the point a study suggests that 27% of smartphones in the UK have faecal matter on them as we don’t switch off long enough to go to the toilet in peace. So this is why having a digital detox whilst on holiday is so important."
The lastminute.com survey found being asked where a document was or for computer log-in details were the most common reasons for receiving a call from the office while on holiday.
Other reasons included questions on how regularly the office plants needed watering, while 10% of holidaymakers had been asked to work on something while they were on the beach.
Those most likely to get a call from the office while on a break were those working in retail, finance and marketing followed by those in IT, law and sales.
Shah added: "Even a simple request, email or quick text can take you out of the holiday mindspace and reconnect you with the stresses and pressures of work.
"What is important to bear in mind is that as much as we can complain about receiving communication from the office whilst on holiday, we have to take full responsibility for receiving and reading it.
"Your employer cannot oblige you to check emails or keep your phone on during annual leave. If you have it on and then get stressed, then you must take ultimate responsibility for checking your messages!"
The survey stress tests showed that getting a single call or text message from the office was not only more stressful than bungee jumping but also worse than arguing with a loved one or getting stuck in traffic.
Dr Lewis said: "There is no denying the effect even just a quick text message from the boss can have when we are on holiday.
"It may not seem like a big deal to the sender but to the recipient the results are dramatic and significantly compounded by being in a relaxed state of mind."
7 Tips for Managing Work Stress When You Get Home
Leave Some Stressful Issues At Work(01 of07)
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You can't rehash every annoyance or major problem with your partner every day or all you will do is sound like you're constantly complaining. Be selective about which story you want to share and which experiences you will keep to yourself. (credit:Thinkstock)
Start The Evening With Quiet Time(02 of07)
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Everyone should have a chance to get in the door and unwind from their own stress at work before being hit with a laundry list of their partner's issues. So don't walk in the door complaining. Come in, change clothes, decompress and use that time to calm down and consider what things should be shared and which ones should not. (credit:Thinkstock)
Limit Stress Talk(03 of07)
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Limit the amount of time you discuss what's stressing you. You have so little time to spend with your partner after work so don't spend it all complaining about problems. Sometimes we have rolling conversations about stressful things throughout the night. You bring it up as soon as you get home, then again during dinner, then after dinner, and then again in bed. Have the conversation once and avoid revisiting it unless absolutely necessary. (credit:Thinkstock)
Balance The Negative With Positive(04 of07)
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Spend as much time talking about non-stressful things or being affectionate as you spend stressing out. You want to leave your partner with a positive feeling about you, instead of with a knot in their stomach. (credit:Thinkstock)
Listen As Much As You Talk(05 of07)
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If you want your partner to listen to you when you're sharing your concerns, then be sure to listen to your partner when they're sharing theirs. Things will go better if you make eye contact and nod or comment to show agreement or react to what they're sharing. Listening while staring at the TV or reading your mobile device will make your partner feel ignored. (credit:Thinkstock)
Share With A Friend(06 of07)
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Our significant others tend to be our best friends, and so we want to tell them everything that we go through both personally and professionally. Sometimes we don't realize when that is becoming overwhelming or just too much info in too little time. If you have a good friend, sometimes you can decide to share with that person and not bring your every concern home to your partner. (credit:Thinkstock)
Disconnect Electronically(07 of07)
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So many of us are glued to our phones and computers but at some point we need to disconnect for the night and relax, especially when you need time for yourself and to spend time with your spouse and kids. You can't keep taking calls and reading emails through dinner, in the bathroom, in the bed and in the middle of a bedtime story. Choose a cutoff time to put your phone to bed and/or limit the amount of time you spend on the phone/computer so that you have time to take care of home.I know everyone needs to do what it takes to keep their jobs, but at the same time you won't be successful at work if you're falling apart from stress and your home life is crumbling around you. When you get home from work, try to manage your time and communications about work in a balanced way so that you can use your time at home to relax and recharge, not just rehash the day and keep the stress going. (credit:Thinkstock)