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Do any of the following apply to you?
- Stay logged onto your internet email account throughout the day. You press your refresh button at least once every half hour.
- You keep your Android on 24/7. It’s normal for you to run to it even in the middle of the night on hearing the sound ‘ping’. Perhaps you also keep it next to your bedside.
- Checking emails before having your first sip of coffee in the morning or bring in the newspapers from the door.
- Even if you’re busy, you must put everything aside to answer the email.
- You have Facebook, LinkedIn or any other social/professional site application installed on your mobile and text on the go. The fear of missing out is real.
- It’s been over 6 months since you saw your friends or spoken to them by telephone. Yet you know what is going on in their lives thanks to emails, Facebook and other social network sites email alerts.
If you answered yes to more than two of the above, then you might be heading to be the latest casualty of this syndrome.
Please do some self-management before you need to call in the professionals or join an Email Anonymous Group for a 12 Step Program.
Email Overwhelm is a known Social Disorder!
The ‘You’ve got email’ syndrome or email overwhelm is a known disorder impacting our lives. It’s a key area to be addressed in effective time management.
Modern communication has its benefits but when technology overtakes us, it is time to reassess where we are heading.
Not only in terms of relationships and support systems, but also to enhance the quality of our life and effective time management. You can learn more about support to get your time under control here.
Complete abstinence is not required. Self-management goes a long way to reclaiming your time and making email reading and website tracking an enjoyable relaxing activity.
How to tame your email anxiety and inbox
I often challenge people who complain about the Blackberry responses taking away quality time from their family and personal lives to switch off the Blackberry on a Saturday midnight. They need to resist turning it on till Monday morning.
To date none have been successful completely and terms were renegotiated till Sunday midnight.
Despite complaints of anxiety and withdrawal symptoms, they realized that a few hours away from the outside world enabled them to have quality Me and family time.
This helped them overcome guilt of neglecting the important people and things in their lives at least on a Sunday.
For those working from home, it helps to schedule specific times during the day dedicated solely to email checking. And refraining from logging onto the computer before that morning cup of coffee.
To make your efforts reap results, schedule the times in your diaries or time planner.
Controlling the impulse rather being controlled
Use filters to organize incoming emails into different categories. That way, even if you cannot resist the impulse, you can endeavor to read only those emails that land in your important folders.
Make different email accounts for different types of emails; business, personal and subscriptions/newsletters to assist the sorting out process and ensure that you don’t miss the important emails.
Once you action your email, delete it or transfer it to another folder so that your Inbox only shows recent mails.
Schedule deleting emails over one year of age.
Revisit your email subscriptions and remove those that are not relevant to you at this point in life.
Disable email alerts for networking sites or restrict them to a once-a-week notification.
Reclaim your time and life!
Ever suffered from email overwhelm? What steps did you take to overcome it?
Obsession with your Inbox is also an indicator of bad time management and priorities. Take it from someone who’s been there and done that. This resource will help you – guaranteed!
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Thanks for the reminder and very useful tips, Vatsala! And I totally agree – checking emails first thing in the morning really highjacks your day. And checking them in the evening can result in a sleepless night! Great post
Thanks for adding to the conversation Vanita. I agree checking emails early in the day or later in the evening can create time and peace of mind management issues. 🙂 The ideal time is when we are taking a break or skim through the list and tackle only those that are important first.
So scary to recognize myself in some of your descriptions. It is so very addictive – especially to addictive-prone personalities. So amazing when we sign off and get unhooked – that whole world – pfft – just disappears! Great post,as always, Vatsala!
It is scary, Reba, and many of us can identify with the descriptions. 🙂 Virtual reality is fun within limits and I prefer to move friendships towards a more offline basis where geographically possible otherwise I’d be online 24×7. Everything in good measure, especially emails, I say.
I can believe that email overwhelm is a disorder. We are constantly bombarded with them. I am getting better at sorting mine (having accidentally deleted several important ones in my rush to get through them). I only check once a day because I know I’ll succumb to overwhelm if II do more. Great tips for keeping your email organised.
Thanks Tamuria. I once did an experiment of not opening my email box for a whole day and discovered 90+ emails. Guess who went on an unsubscribing spree? 🙂
The new Gmail folder option makes it easier to focus on the relevant important emails.
I have hangouts syndrome. My co-workers ho all day long as our form of communicating across the wires. As of recent, I decided when I am in class this can wait. It is so overwhelming trying to teach to a ding. xoxo
I use the silence mode too Natasha when I cannot afford to be disturbed and I actually removed the internet connection from my mobile (much to the horror of my friends) because I wanted some privacy and space back in my life. 🙂