What would harm your health more: no access to food, water, or
e-mail? Worldwide, people are beginning to wonder why all roads now
lead to our inboxes. In less than 20 years, e-mail and its
off-shoot instant messaging (IM) have monopolised business
communication. Who picks up the phone any more, or crosses the room
to talk with a co-worker, unless the building is on fire?
Born in 1990, e-mail undoubtedly offers great advantages. Our
inboxes record our important conversations, requests and replies.
And it is a cheap, quick and convenient way to connect your
business or stay in touch with far-flung friends and family.
Mail in moderation
But our growing over-reliance on e-mail is leading many people to
believe they have an unhealthy dependence. Check these symptoms to
see if you could be an e-mail addict:
From the White House to your house
If you now consider yourself an “e-mailaholic”, you share powerful
company. US President Obama has recently revealed he is addicted to
his handheld e-mail device. From the Oval Office to your office and
in thousands between, people are beginning to admit they waste too
much time in their inbox.
Why is this bad?
Being obsessed with e-mail actually reduces your productivity if
you spend more time waiting for messages than finishing important
jobs. Equally, it’s unhealthy if you find yourself getting up in
the night to find a Wi-Fi spot, or in your free time it stops you
from relaxing with friends and family.
Facing your addiction
If you need to, now’s your chance to check your inbox. But please
return to read four tips on how to tackle your addiction.
1. Set a virtual curfew: Outside work hours you
need to reduce the impact of e-mail on yourself and loved ones. You
need downtime and they want to enjoy your company without inbox
incursions. If you have to, give yourself one hour when you come
home from work to check, and then turn off and chill out. Try not
to get online as soon as you wake up and before sleeping. Even
consider having one e-mail-free day per week.
2. Talk more, type less: Too often we type mails
that raise more questions than they answer. You can actually save
yourself time at work by making a quick call to colleagues to avoid
unclear e-mail trails.
3. Write and post a letter: Once your
fingers remember how to handle a pen again, you might even enjoy
this. Receiving a handwritten letter is special. Share that with a
friend or a client and remember: there’s more to life than the
online.
4. Go cold turkey: Take a holiday without your
laptop. Don’t look at your accounts. Not once! You’ll be surprised,
the world can keep going without you.
Avoid the inbox trap
It might be small, but your inbox can easily become a big
time-waster. To lift your productivity and enjoyment away from
work, try to spend more time thinking outside your box.