Time management tip – read email in blocks
Many people have emails firing into their inbox all day. There are very important emails and there those which are less so.
The problem is that they can be very distracting. When we are doing project work, or need to focus and concentrate for 30 minutes, having emails fly in and distract us does not help our concentration.
We’re concentrating on a project, or on a spreadsheet, or on a document, then our focus is taken by an email. It tells us there is cake in the kitchen. Then we have to refocus on the spreadsheet. The more times this happens the longer the spreadsheet will take.
By not controlling our emails, we are not being as efficient as we could be.
So to take control, we can read our emails in blocks. Turn of the email alert, or the sound, or the little message in the corner or your screen. Focus on your task for 20 minutes, or 30 minutes or however long you want to. Then go back and check your emails.
Some people find it works for them to check their emails first thing in the morning, at lunchtime, then again towards the end of the day. I know for others this would not work, because they have to be more responsive, but perhaps you could leave emails for a short while, so that you could concentrate?
It’s a simple idea which I have seen work really well for people who want to take contorl of their work and not let emails run their day.