I didn’t realize how severe my email addiction was until I tried to stop checking it. In July, I began setting aside one day each week as an “Untouchable Day.” Every Monday, I don’t check social media or email and texts. I’ll pick up the phone if someone calls, but almost no one does.
After more than a month of this practice, I’ve gotten better at shutting out distractions and using that day for writing and other tasks that require focus. But the first few weeks were rough, I have to admit.
On my first Untouchable Day, I checked my email more than 14 times. Twice, I didn’t even realize that I was doing it until someone sent me an email saying, “Aren’t you supposed to be off of email today?” The truth is, my life was designed around email in more ways than I realized.
Although I’d turned off notifications from almost all of the apps on my phone, I was still seeing that number of unread items next to the envelope icon every time I glanced at the screen. What’s more, my internet browser included the email page in its startup screens, so the inbox opened automatically.
Depending on which research you consult, the average adult spends 2-6 hours a day answering email and at least a third of that isn’t urgent. I’d imagine much, much more than a third is neither important nor time sensitive. I could cite studies and surveys all day, but it comes down to this: email kills productivity. So, breaking my addiction to it was crucial if I wanted to really get things done on my Untouchable Day.
But I discovered that the problem didn’t just involve me. I also had to manage the expectations of others. People expect a quick response. At this point, anything less than immediate response over text or email is cause for concern. Most texts are read within 3 minutes of being received and a response is sent within 90 seconds after they’re read. The most common email response time is two minutes, according to analysis from the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering.
So, here’s how I’ve solved (most of) these problems. First, on Sunday night I check my email one last time and turn on a vacation responder that says, “On Mondays, I don’t answer emails or texts because I’m writing. If it’s urgent, call me.” By the way, it’s been more than a month and no one has ever called.
Second, I changed my email signature in order to manage response time expectations. Now, instead of a pithy quote, all of my message end with the following note: “I only check email 2-3 times a day. If it’s urgent, call me. But really, how urgent is it, really?” Gradually, I hope that people will stop expecting an immediate reply from me and will feel more comfortable when it takes hours, if not days, to receive a reply.
Third, I changed the settings on my phone so that I no longer see how many unread emails are in my inbox, and every Monday, I put the phone on Do Not Disturb mode so that only phone calls come through.
The result? This past Monday, I wrote 4,000 words before my brain overheated. Then, I baked some scones and took my dog for an hour-long walk, and still had time to watch some Netflix before reading a book and falling asleep at a reasonable hour. I slept well, too.