- 48% say taking time off for vacation causes more work-related stress than it’s worth.
- Nearly 7 in 10 Americans would prefer to return exclusively to email for work-related communication.
- 82% have been contacted by a colleague via a personal channel about a work-related matter.
- 47% agree that having multiple communication platforms makes it harder to focus.
- 43% say multiple communication platforms often make them feel even less productive.
Palm Beach, FL – January 23, 2020 – In a survey commissioned by Neuvana – the South Florida-based neuroscience company at the intersection of wellness and technology - working professionals in the U.S. open up about the stress associated with constant connectivity in the workplace and beyond.
For professionals in corporate America, work-life balance is nearly non-existent. As a result, many find themselves in a constant state of [work] stress, with no “clocking out” in sight.
While nearly 6 in 10 working professionals work remotely once per month or more frequently, 51% of this group say working from home adds to their feelings of stress and 43% agree working from home is more stressful than working at the office. Nearly one-third of all respondents state they always work more than the hours expected of them per week, which can primarily be attributed to the stress of meeting deadlines (26%) and a desire to get ahead (26%).
A little over half feel stressed when disconnected from work-related communication while out of the office:
- “I'm stressed 100% of the day about everything in my life.”
- “I am always expected to answer even when off work.”
- “I'm always thinking about my job... my mind won't shut off.”
Leaving work emails behind at the end of the day is a thing of the past, as 61% feel pressure to respond to work-related communications outside of working hours.
While switching off the computer may have signaled the workday was done in prior years, these days, the number of communication platforms that are always ‘on’ is taking its toll on corporate America.
In terms of the various communication channels used to communicate with colleagues day-to- day, 39% use 3 or 4 different platforms, with email and text topping the list, followed by personal phones and Skype. Quantity in this case is not a pro, with 47% noting that having multiple methods of communication makes it harder to focus and 43% saying multiple communication platforms often makes them feel less productive.
Think you’re off the hook when you miss a work email? Not so fast. Most working professionals (82%) have been contacted by a colleague via a personal channel about a work-related matter – 35% of this group say these messages come through once or more per day! Overall, 64% feel that constant work-related alerts from communication platforms adds to stress, and at the end of the day, nearly 7 in 10 would prefer to return exclusively to email for work-related communication.
While at one time a vacation or some time off was often the key to avoiding long-term burnout, the pressure of today’s connected workplace has made “de-stressing” nearly impossible.
Sadly, 48% say taking time off for vacation causes more work-related stress than it’s worth, with 23% unable to completely disconnect from work while on vacation.
For many, taking time off presents an array of challenges such as falling behind at work (23%), the amount of work to get done prior to leaving (21%) and getting work covered by colleagues (19%).
“If today’s corporate America doesn’t even have time for vacation, how are we supposed to bake stress-relief into our daily lives?” says Neuvana founder and inventor, Dr. Richard Cartledge. “The last decade saw us “busier” than ever at the expense of our health and wellness, but awareness of this problem is only the first step to changing work-life balance in the decade ahead. At Neuvana, we’re making it easy to add some stress-relief to your day, simply through listening to the music or podcast you already love. Xen by Neuvana was designed to electronically provide added wellness benefits, including reducing stress, and improving your mood through Vagus Nerve stimulation.
For more information on Vagus Nerve stimulation and Neuvana, visit: NeuvanaLife.com.
*This survey was fielded on January 3, 2020 and included 1,076 working professionals in the U.S. Consumer sample was provided by Pollfish.
About Neuvana
Neuvana is a South Florida-based brand at the intersection of wellness and technology, continually striving to improve people’s lives through accessible Neuroscience. Founded in 2014 by Dr. Richard Cartledge, an avid inventor and Chief of Cardiovascular Surgery at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, the company is made up of physicians, intellectual property experts, engineers, experienced business professionals and a world-class scientific advisory board with a shared goal: a platform to make the necessary benefits of neuroscience safe, easy and accessible to everyone.
