Productivity: 5 Tips To Avoid Checking Emails

The first thing many of us do when we wake up is to reach for our phones to check for new messages. This habit can affect your mental health, so it’s important to consider how important this digital connection really is to your life. It’s easy to fall into the trap of constantly checking your phone first thing in the morning, but there are several ways you can avoid this morning ritual and still stay connected with everyone you need to.

1. Ask yourself why you’re checking on it so much

Do you think that you need to check your emails because your work or business will be affected if you don’t? Or is it more like a reflex action? You may benefit from knowing some simple facts before doing anything about it.

One fact is that there is no research supporting the popular belief that checking email frequently makes people more productive. In fact, many studies have shown that too much email checking can hurt productivity and efficiency.

Another fact is that most people who say they “must” check their emails frequently are actually wasting time and not achieving what they set out to do. A third fact is that you can train yourself to deal with email less often and with greater efficiency.

2. Schedule your first email check of the day

Many people set their phones just out of reach on their nightstands so they won’t be tempted to check them first thing in the morning. This way, you can stay connected with friends and co-workers but also enjoy a few minutes of uninterrupted rest before you get started with the day.

At the beginning of each day, choose a time and place to check your email. For example, you might decide that from 10:30 to 11:15 am you will work on your novel, and then from 11:30 to 12:00 pm you will check email, and then from 12:30 to 1:30 pm you will write code, and so on. The point is that no matter what else happens during those periods, at least one activity is not going to be interrupted by a little ping.

3. Create a morning ritual

Choose one task to accomplish during the first hour after you wake up. It could be as simple as making yourself a cup of coffee or journaling about what’s on your mind that day. Setting aside time each morning for reflection helps create some structure, which is essential for productivity and overall mental health.

The most important thing about the ritual is that it should do two things: it should give you energy and it should give you direction. Some examples of rituals that fit these criteria are:

meditating, going to the gym, working out, taking a walk, taking a cold shower, drinking coffee, eating breakfast, or a short family time. The main thing is that the ritual has to be something physical or mental that wakes you up from your slumber and makes you feel good about getting out of bed.

4. Remove notifications

You are probably being notified of all sorts of things being sent to your inbox. Emails from shopping sites, confirmation emails from other websites, subscriptions for newsletters you signed up for but do not read anymore or maybe even never read. You can easily remove all the notifications by going to the “notification settings” of each website you have an account at. Some might be buried in a page somewhere on their website but it is worth looking around if you want to get rid of annoying email notifications.

Be cautious when removing email notifications. It is easy to forget that you can no longer see when someone wrote you something important or that you need to act upon it because the site might send you something important via email that you need to take action on (you know, like confirming your account). Once you remove all the unnecessary email notifications, you will only receive emails when someone really wants to tell or ask something important to you.

5. Block out other times in your day

You may find it’s not so much the checking of email that is the issue, but the fact that you have to do it so often. It’s a great way to lose a sense of flow. You need to define a set time when you will check your emails and stick to it. If you’re working on a task that requires a high level of concentration, then put a note in your diary or planner that you won’t be checking emails for x hours.

Make sure you block out at least some time when you won’t be checking your emails during your day. Switch off your phone and try not to take your laptop with you wherever you go. If possible, make sure there is no internet access at all in the room where you’ll be doing your most important work. Set up specific times in your day when you will check and answer your emails, and then stick to them.

It’s also worth remembering that if an email becomes urgent while you’re away from your computer, it can always wait until you check again later.