Freedomlance Inc.

Probably the first thing you do while having that first cup of java in the morning is check your email. You read several posts from other blogs, check out Twitter, Facebook, and other social media. Before you begin working on projects something compels you to go back to your inbox again, and again. Much of the day is spent checking the darn inbox!

I have taken note about how much people talk about their relationship with email. This is usually in reference to how their inbox slows down productivity. When you think about it, checking email is something that is often done without any thought. I've been guilty of it. I also realized how this subconscious habit was affecting my productivity a while back. Because it always had the potential to take my attention away from working, it was time for an intervention. 

I basically approached the issue like a bad habit. Not because I needed to quit, keeping tabs on the inbox is important. But it's a problem when productivity has been cut short. And as we all know...time is money, especially when freelancing. 

Incorporating an inbox schedule improved the situation. By redirecting this habit into time frames, productivity was back on track. Having a few email accounts, this worked well to check them at once and not think about it until it was time to. Anything urgent was taken care when the email was read. If there were any that did not fit into this category, it was dealt with at the end of the work day. 

The thought of an inbox intervention was different, but worth a shot. I found it to be a good benefit. Starting anything new takes some getting used and may need a few adjustment s along the way. To help break the habit of babysitting your inbox to improve your productivity:

1. Assess how often you check your inbox or feel the need to (once or more per hour=intervention)
2. Schedule inbox checks for once an hour to start. On the hour, quarter hour, half, etc.
3. Use a timer or Outlook scheduler
4. Check your inbox only at the scheduled time
5. Only address urgent matters as soon as email is read, save all others for the end of day

Do this for a week. The anxiety level associated with going to the inbox should decrease, keeping the focus work. If you find that checking every hour is too much, just cut down on the number of times you check your email throughout the day. Make any changes until you find the times that work best for you.

How do you keep from monitoring the inbox? Share your tips by leaving a comment.