In an episode of the sitcom "The Office," Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer) play a prank on Andy (Ed Helms) by hiding his phone in the ceiling, then calling it so that it rings from its mysterious location.

Andy can’t find it, and eventually gets so mad he punches a hole in the wall.

New research has revealed that for many folks, even the idea of losing a cellphone is almost as upsetting as contemplating a terrorist threat.

Scientists in the United Kingdom had more than 2,000 people rate how stressful they would find 18 different life events. The prospect of losing a smartphone got an average stress rating of 5.79 out of 10; terrorist threats scored 5.84.

And it's not the hassle or expense of losing it that is so upsetting — it's what has been dubbed NOMO (no mobile) phobia, a fear of being disconnected from the device.

We love what you can do with your smartphone (track fitness, set reminders to stand up regularly, stay connected to friends and family), but feeling terrorized by the idea of losing it is too much.

Our suggestions:

• Back up phone data and pictures regularly. If you misplace your phone, you can retrieve the lost info. Consider phone insurance, so that a replacement is covered.

• Once a week, especially if you're hyperattached to your phone, leave it home for eight hours, so you realize that life won't end without it. If an emergency arises, you can always borrow someone else's phone.

For most of human history, we did just fine without them.