For most people, every day presents a new form of stress. For parents, it’s usually taking care of the kids. For kids, it’s dealing with school and homework. For working professionals, it may be the constant pressure to stay connected and available — basically the pressure to work 24/7, even when they're not required to.

Researchers at the University of Hamburg have found this need to always be plugged in is causing high levels of stress both in and out of the office. Email was found to be especially stressful for employees, in part because their smartphones ensure they always have it with them. It's no surprise then some studies have shown people who limit the amount of times they check their email per day experience less stress.

In the present study, researchers asked 132 people from 13 different workplaces to fill out a survey over a period of eight days, in which four of those days were required workdays and the other four were not. While all of the participants were surveyed, only half of them were asked to give saliva samples for the purpose of measuring the stress hormone cortisol.

The saliva samples proved that during the required work time, participants experienced elevated levels of stress. But surprisingly, during the time they weren't required to work, participants were still experiencing these elevated levels. These findings highlight the very thin line people have between their work and home life. The invention and universal adoption of smartphones has made that thin line razor sharp since pretty much everyone in the world has a smart device, be it a phone, tablet, or TV.

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Americans work about 1,788 work hours per year, which isn’t the most in the world, but is far more than countries like France and Germany. While there have been calls for cutting back on the workdays of many Americans, that just doesn’t seem to be happening anytime soon.

Finding the right work-life balance is something the modern-day working professional struggles a lot with. With more people online, there's an even greater pressure to be on our phones and computers, if only for fear of missing an important email or breaking news. So, how do Americans find the balance they need for a happier, healthier life? Let’s take a look.

Exercise

Daily workouts boast incredible physical and mental benefits. It can help manage with stress, make you feel better about yourself, and prime your body to better handle any stress you might feel in the first place.

Sleeping

As much as you’d like to stay up and catch all the TV shows that you’ve missed over the last week, sometimes it’s just better to get your forty winks in and worry about the shows another time. Getting a solid eight hours of sleep each night is necessary to feeling ready and refreshed throughout the week.

Going Outside

Fresh air can be a real mood changer, especially if you work inside a place without windows and nothing but artificial light and recycled air. Get outside, even if its just for a meal or a short walk; you’ll feel much better afterwards.

Manage Your Time

This seems like an obvious one, but time management can be difficult, especially for men. While you don't have to manage every single detail of your day, it's better to be mindful of what you have to get done, and when. Psychology Today reported raking control of your time can also help reduce procrastination and problems with self-control.

Of course, these aren’t hard and fast rules to follow, but they're a great start to achieving a better work-life balance.