Stressing in our free time

“It’s likely that the mere anticipation of interruption, and the resulting loss of control over one’s free time, eats away at the benefits of leisure, even if the interruptions turn out to be minor.” – The Psychological Toll of Being Off-Duty but “On Call”

This study looked specifically at being on call after hours, but the draining experience that comes with expecting interruptions can also happen when you aren’t working. An earlier study showed that even when our phones aren’t actively alerting us to something, we are less connected in our face-to-face interactions when phones are sitting silently on the table next to us.