A study conducted by researchers at the University of Houston in the United States found that deadlines do not raise stress levels during cognitively demanding work. The findings were published in the Proceedings of the ACM Human Factors in Computing Systems.
The study aimed to explore how the sympathetic nervous system responds to work-related stress. To that end, ten university staff members with office-based roles were observed. Their facial expressions were recorded two days before a deadline and again one day during a freelance or remote work period. In addition, researchers tracked the subjects’ skin conductance, a measure of perspiration per second, to gauge physiological stress.
Results indicated that activation of the sympathetic nervous system occurred during ordinary workdays, reflecting the inherent complexity of professional tasks. Surprisingly, the intensity of sympathetic activity remained largely similar whether deadlines were present or absent, suggesting that the daily workload itself can sustain a steady physiological stress response.
The study also highlighted that frequent smartphone use and rapid responses to messages amplified sympathetic activation. Moreover, as stress levels rose, participants tended to take breaks more often, a pattern that may reflect cognitive resource limits under higher strain. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of how digital communication habits interact with work-related stress and can inform strategies to manage workload and well-being in office settings.
Overall, the research emphasizes that deadlines are not the sole drivers of stress in professional environments. Instead, the combination of task complexity, digital communication patterns, and the timing of work shifts shapes the autonomic stress response in workers. Industry stakeholders and researchers alike can use these insights to design healthier work routines that balance productivity with personal well-being.