Turn Off the Doorbell

1 of 10 from 10 Ways to Unclutter Your Inbox and Regain Your Morning Sanity

This is controversial, we know. Perhaps we are making you squirm with the mere suggestion, but hear us out.

Email notification was once considered useful. There was a time when you would be excited to hear the occasional "ding," see the promising envelope icon staring at you from your system tray, or hear the friendly voice declaring, "You've Got Mail." You would drop everything, point your mouse toward your inbox, and immediately respond to the freshly arrived message. Alas, times have changed. Most current business users would describe email not as a happy convenience, but as a chore.

Unless your position contractually requires you to provide immediate email responses, you do not have to respond to every message as soon as it arrives. Allow us to repeat: you do not have to respond to every message as soon as it arrives. And you certainly should not be interrupted while doing other work simply to attend to a new message. Even if you think your job requires instant responses, chances are it does not. In actuality, it is likely your past behavior that has turned this practice into an expectation.

Checking your email constantly, immediately dropping what you are doing, and instantly responding to every message is unproductive. You are not serving your employer, co-workers, employees, or customers well by wasting time.

So if you are an email notification junkie, racing to respond to every message, here is what we suggest: check your email only three times per day. You will check it once in the morning, once in the afternoon, and once before you go home for the day. Stick to this schedule, and not only will you reclaim your sanity, but your productivity will soar.

Step 2: Empty Your Inbox