The secret to happiness is to ignore an endless stream of emails by turning off your app, according to psychologists who warn constant updates are a "toxic source of stress".

Due to technology enabling people to be at their email’s constant beck and call, a culture has developed where people must feel they are constantly available for work, according to research.

As a result, an “unwritten organisational etiquette” has become ingrained in the workplace and employees have developed habits which negatively impact on their emotional well-being.

Studies have found that continuously checking and reading emails due to a ‘push notification’ feature which alerts users to new messages even when they are not in their Mail app, prompts signs of tension and worry.

And experts have recommended that switching off the ‘Mail’ app on your mobile phone will alleviate anxiety both in and out of the office.

A report from the London-based Future Work Centre, which conducts psychological research on people's workplace experiences, said emails were a "double-edged sword" that provided a useful means of communication but could also be a source of stress.