5 Ways to keep emails from seizing your life
Your inbox may be the reason for your burnout on the job.
Dr. Douglas LaBier, Center for Progressive Development director, claims that ceaseless work emails may cause burnout at workplace and they are usually a sign of a bigger problem with workplace culture:
Continuous emails are just another symptom of a wrong workplace culture which indicate a mentally unhealthy management practices like not being able to succeed practicing openness, not helping continuous development and learning of skills, abilities or creative innovation.
The consequence is burnout at work which brings on stress, anger, less motivation and depression. If you are also feeling overwhelmed by emails at work, listen to the suggestions by these experts to fight against burnout:
Rethink about your preferences
University of Bedfordshire’s occupational health psychology professor, Dr. Gail Kinman proposes to rethink how we use email. Are you bothered by after-work emails or do you like to work at this time of the day? When you know what frustrates you and what your preferences are, you may easily establish a plan suitable to you.
Manage the anticipations of others
You can stop sending evening emails, but cannot stop receiving them. When you don’t respond soon, you may be anxious about colleagues thinking that you’re disregarding them or you are lazy. Kinman suggests managing expectations of others by putting email alerts on which show the time you’ll check your inbox like ‘in the morning when you wake you up’ or ‘at 4,30 pm.’, and follow this plan.
No emails on vacation
Don’t decrease your vacation’s quality by checking emails. According to Kinman you should not check your mails on holidays, evenings and on weekends. Holidays are for relaxing.
Stick to standardized email etiquette
Other people may have different email preferences from you. Kinman says when you send people a mail on a Sunday morning, you may give them extra stress though you don’t expect a response until the first weekday.
Kinman suggest to managers and employees to ask from their organizations to provide counseling on good and effective email etiquette and email management for everyone to have the same standards.
Have a routine
David Burkus, author of the book “Under New Management”, mentioned in his book about the solutions to problems with nonstop work emails. He says emails can dangerously distract you from personal relationships. He advises to log out when you reach home.
Burkus suggests protecting your core hours. When you are at work, turn internet off to focus on tasks which require concentration and create work value. When you are at home, preserve the family and friends time so as to refresh and relax.