Whether you work from home, or can’t be bothered to walk to the other side of the office, email has changed the way we communicate with co-workers. However, is that handy inbox really such a blessing to corporate wellness? Or are you better off with good old-fashioned face-to-face interaction?
According to UC Irvine and Army researchers, relying on emails is actually making you more stressed and less productive. Employees of different professions, including psychologists and biologists, were asked to go “off the grid” for five days and…nothing happened. No one missed an opportunity, lost a job and, perhaps most surprisingly of all, the world didn’t end. Those who participated were more focused at work, were less stressed and lesser involved with multi-tasking. Plus, the volunteers enjoyed chatting at the water cooler more than usual.
Let’s be honest; you don’t check your emails in order to be efficient, you do it to procrastinate or give yourself a break from dull tasks. However, this cuts your concentration and can hinder productivity if you do it 17 times in a day. Still, eliminating emails isn’t always possible, and it can be nice for those times that you just need a break, so how do you make sure that you’re the boss of your own inbox?
1. Choose three times in a day that you will open your emails, and never deviate from those scheduled times.
2. Let your colleagues know about your new email action plan. If they know they’ll have to wait for a response, your co-workers may get on with things by themselves instead of bugging you.
3. Set filters so that your emails are divided into ones that need a speedy reply (such as ones from your boss) and ones that can wait (like cute videos of cats).
4. Don’t take your smartphone with you on errands or switch off your email app during non-work times. If you’re worried about upsetting colleagues, let them know that you’re taking an email break and will return soon, or that you won’t be contactable outside of office hours. Leave work stress at work, where it belongs.
Comments are closed.