More than a third of workers say they feel "stressed out" by the number of e-mails they receive in the office and the pressure to respond promptly.
Scottish research found some workers are viewing their inbox up to 40 times each hour, leaving them tired and frustrated - as well as unproductive.
"E-mail is the thing that now causes the most problems in our working lives," said lead researcher Karen Renaud, a computer scientist.
"It's an amazing tool but it's got out of hand."
Experts suggest a simple stress-beating strategy: check your e-mail less often.
The advice is to set aside two or three dedicated e-mail reading times each day.
