By Minessa
In the whirlwind of digital advancements, email has emerged as a double-edged sword in our professional lives. It’s astonishing how quickly it replaced traditional methods of communication, transforming our workflows with unprecedented speed. Some of us still joke about ye old days before the internet. Yet, we find ourselves here 30 years later, the volume of tasks and information we’re expected to handle has skyrocketed, leading to a state of continuous stress and inefficiency.
The Hidden Cost of Email Overload
Remember the slower pace of the pre-internet era? Each task had its own time frame, and the mental buffer between activities allowed us to process and prepare for what was next. Today, despite using the same workflows but with significantly more content, we’re inadvertently signed up for a relentless marathon with no finish line in sight. Email is a singular contributor.
The reality is that our brains aren’t wired to handle the constant bombardment of emails—each loaded with tasks and emotional nuances that, pre-1995, would have been spread out over days. Each notification is a potential stressor, capable of derailing our focus and flooding our systems with adrenaline.
Building a Sustainable Email Strategy
Through my work with various clients, including many research administrators, I’ve realized the essential first step is recalibrating our understanding of what’s humanly possible in a day. We must learn to appreciate that while tools like email can enhance productivity, they can also contribute to a bottleneck effect that hampers progress when not managed properly.
Here are some strategies to consider:
- Recognize Your Patterns: How often do you actually check your email? Understanding your real habits (not just what you think they are) is crucial.
- Create a System: Define clear methodologies for handling emails. Whether it’s processing them as they come or setting specific times to check your inbox, consistency and rules can prevent chaos.
- Set Boundaries: Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to have work email on your phone. Setting strict boundaries around when and how you access your email can significantly reduce stress and increase productivity.
- Cultivate Trust in Your System: Just as you would trust a chair to hold your weight, trust in the systems you put in place to manage your workload. This trust builds a foundation that allows for real rest and recovery.
The Trust Experiment
In one exercise, I ask people to physically sit back in their chairs and truly relax into them, letting go of the tension they carry in their bodies. This act of releasing physical tension parallels the mental shift needed to trust in our organizational systems. If we can learn to trust our chairs, we can extend that trust to our workflows, reducing the need to constantly switch tasks in fear of missing out or making the wrong choice.
As we continue to navigate the complexities of modern work environments, it’s imperative that we acknowledge the toll that poorly managed digital communications can take on our well-being. By shifting our approach to email from a passive acceptance of its demands to an active management strategy, we can reclaim not only our productivity but also our peace of mind.