Many of us struggle to go more than a few minutes without checking our email inboxes.

But new research suggests ignoring messages altogether can reduce stress by having a positive effect on the heart.

Scientists who attached heart rate monitors to office workers found they remained in a state of 'high alert' throughout the day if they had constant access to email.

But those told they had their manager's permission to not check their messages for up to five days at a time had much healthier heart rates.
Now researchers who carried out the study, at the University of California Irvine, are calling for employers to consider implementing email 'holidays' to preserve workers' health.

According to some estimates, more than 200 billion e-mails are sent across the internet every day.

But while they may have improved communication speeds, there have been concerns that electronic messaging is detrimental to both physical and mental health.
To assess the effects, scientists recruited 13 men and women who used computers in the workplace, ranging from chemical engineers to psychologists.

At the same time, software was added to their computers to measure how often they switched from what they were working on to their email inbox.

The results, presented at a recent computing conference in Austin, Texas, showed those who stayed logged on to email had 'high alert' heart rates.

This is where the heart remains at a steady, relatively fast beat because of constant underlying stress.

In stress-free conditions, the heart rate is more variable, slowing down as the body becomes more relaxed.

A constantly raised heart beat is known to lead to higher levels of a potentially damaging stress hormone, called cortisol.

The study also found limiting email access might boost workers' concentration levels.

Volunteers with access to email switched screen an average of 37 times an hour - twice as much as those denied it.

Professor Gloria Mark, who led the study, said she was surprised by the results, since not having access to email could lead to a loss of control - a major factor in workplace stress.

But she said: 'Email vacations on the job may be a good idea. Participants loved being without email, especially if their manager said it was okay.

'In general, they we much happier to interact in person.

'We were surprised by the results. We didn't expect that people would become significantly less stressed.'