How to Put an End to Email Distraction at Work

Do you find email distraction makes it difficult to do your work at the office?

Are you looking for a fast fix to boost your productivity?

Email is a convenient tool in today’s busy world.

However, we often forget this fact.

We unwittingly fall prey to using email at all hours of the day, sometimes, when it’s not even needed.

But what about those people who completely use or work with email as part of their job?

Granted, there are some jobs that require one to be on email or ticketing systems.

But for the rest of us, well. we really don’t need to sit and watch the emails collect in our inboxes.

We’ve got other things to which we need to attend.

After all, messages are being stored for us for future processing and use.

In this post, you’ll find tips to help you break free from email distractions while you work.

A Hidden Daily Distraction

Having an open email inbox seems like it’s no big deal.

What’s more, a lot of people keep their inboxes open.

Shouldn’t you do the same?

If you really want to see a difference in how you work, consider checking your email at specific times during the day.

Log out of your email account or client, and work on whatever it is you need to do.

Write that assignment, read that report, file those papers, or make that phone call.

You need to practice distance from email so you’re not constantly being interrupted by it every five seconds.

Don’t believe me? What if I made some practical analogies? You might look at things in a different light.

Having your email inbox opened all the time is like…

  • A letter carrier deliver a new letter to your door every five minutes
  • Someone calling you on the phone every three minutes
  • A pet reminding you that it’s time for dinner or to go out for a walk
  • Someone poking you in the side every five minutes
  • A house fly constantly buzzing around your room
  • Someone asking you the same question after you’ve given them an answer
  • Wearing an outfit of overly tight shoes, sweater, and jeans
  • Someone playing music loudly next door to you

Basically, having your email open all the time is downright annoying and distracting.

Is it really a surprise then, why we can’t get things done?

Ready to curtail your email use? Here’s a few things to try out:

Check your email the same time each day.

It’s best to spread out your check-ins several hours apart.

You could check at 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., 9 a.m., 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., and so on.

Choose a time interval that works well for your needs.

Learn how to process email efficiently.

Make the most of your email sessions by processing your messages quickly, and efficiently.

This will significantly cut down the amount of time you spend inside of your inbox.

Don’t use your email inbox as a to-do list.

It’s a good idea to separate your emails from your daily to-do list.

Write down specific items that need your attention into your to-do list instead. 

Log out.

Finished processing email? Be sure to completely log out of your email account or client.

Communicate with others.

Inform others you will check email at certain times during the day.

You can also set an automatic email response message as a reminder.

Ask yourself some honest questions.

Lastly, if you find yourself distracted by email as you work, ask yourself the following four questions.

You’ll get accurate answers if you are brutally honest with yourself.

  • How much work do I honestly think I am going to accomplish this morning/afternoon/evening if I keep checking my email every five minutes?
  • Would I rather finish my work on time, or stay late at the office because of all the time I spent popping in and out of my inbox?
  • Why am I constantly checking my email? Am I procrastinating or ignoring some other work that I really need to focus on or attend to?
  • Would I allow, or even consider allowing, anything else to disrupt my work, time, and energy on a regular basis?

How about you? Do you do your work with your email inbox open? Are you going to close it from now on? Join the conversation and leave a comment below!

5 Unexpected Things You Need to Organize a Work Notebook Mockup
About the Author

Rashelle

Rashelle Isip is a New York City-based productivity consultant who helps successful entrepreneurs and business owners manage their time and energy so they can reduce stress, work less, and make more money in their businesses. She has been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, NBC News, The Washington Post, NPR, and The Atlantic. Get her free guide, 5 Unexpected Things You Need to Organize a Work Notebook, by clicking here.

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