More Americans feeling stressed by their devices — Forever 39 Podcast

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Is your cell phone stressing you out? If the answer is a resounding yes — you're not alone!

A study published earlier this year by the American Psychological Association, shows that Americans are a stressed out bunch thanks to constantly checking their emails, texts, and social media pages. The study polled over 3,500 U.S. adults, and graded people on a 10-point scale, where one is "little to no stress" and 10 is "a great deal of stress."

So what did the APA study reveal about how our mobile habits are stressing us out? Well, the results aren't good. According to the APA study, those that check their cell phones constantly, dubbed in the report as "constant checkers," report an overall average stress level of 5.3. That compares to an average stress level of 4.4 for those that check their devices less infrequently.

The stress levels are even higher for constant checkers that can't break away from their emails, even when it's their day off. The APA study finds that constant checkers who continue to check their emails, despite being off from work, reported an overall average stress level of 6.0.

And while constantly checking texts and emails is stressful enough, reading what people posted on social media is an even bigger stress-inducer. According to the APA report, 42 percent of those polled indicate that cultural and political discussions on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter cause them stressed. And even though these constant checkers can't turn away, nearly half of them report being worried about the impact social media has on their mental and physical health.

Interestingly, the study finds that even though people are having a tough time unplugging, they don't doubt the benefits of doing so. Sixty-five percent of those polled agree that unplugging is important for their mental health, but only 28 percent say they're actually doing something about it.

From work constantly being right at your fingertips to family disconnect, these contraptions have infiltrated our worlds in just about every way. In this Forever 39 podcast, we discuss how difficult it is to get away from our devices, and how we can find a healthy balance between answering people in a timely manner, while also removing ourselves from the digital world.

If you notice your stress levels go up every time you reach for your phone, an intervention might be necessary.  Check out five tips from the Observer that might go a long way toward lowering your stress levels, and perhaps saving your sanity.

Also from this week's Forever 39 podcast — Why labeling your spouse as your best friend is a bad idea. PLUS: Unlimited vacation time: A do or don't? Click on the podcast player above to hear the entire episode.

Share your thoughts on all of them below, on Twitter, on Facebook or at forever39@nj1015.com.

— Annette and Megan, Forever 39

Join us for next week’s podcast when we chat about why men are more likely to marry up, how sitting at our desks is killing us, and why ringing doorbells freak us out so much!