stay out of your mailbox: start in your agenda!

In the beginning, there was mail...

What's the first thing you do in the morning when you get to the office? After coffee or tea? I often hear emails read. Totally organic, logical, but is it also productive?

Start the cakewalk!

Your brain memory works on the basis of associations, neural networks that work when stimulated; they fire energy through your brain network via neurotransmitters. A bit like turning a light switch on and off, but lots of light switches and on and off very quickly, like a pinball machine. And every email - even just watched - starts such a network with often the additional emotions involved. The whole cakewalk is cranked up when you browse through your mailbox, all the brain registers are opened, resulting in all the nervousness: heart rate increase, breathing speed, adrenaline running through your body, ready to fight, flee, freeze. Braced up, for the start of another great day!

Moreover - before you know it - you are an hour or so further and... not immediately eager to start that big important task planned yesterday...

Stop the madness!

Take the following rational one-off measures;

1. from now on, start your Outlook in your calendar instead of in your mailbox: File/options/Advanced/Start Outlook in this folder. By browsing, you indicate Calendar.
2. Turn off incoming new message signals: in your Outlook, click File in the top left corner, Options at the bottom left, choose E-mail at the top left, and uncheck Receiving a message.

Enter: new behavior!

Now comes the emotional rehab, cultivating new adequate behavior!

1. view mail only after completing a planned, important task. Make it a reward, keep your focus: turn off distractions & stay out of your mailbox: some smart shortcuts!
2. first work on what you definitely want to finish, the planned thing; kiss the prince, eat the frog: do the most important or difficult thing first!


3. use the brain-friendly and calm technique if you also want an empty inbox: grab = decide!

Sometimes I hear I just turn off my Outlook, which I personally don't find very convenient because I want to be able to email myself.

EXTRA TIP: if you press the Work Offline button, you can continue working as usual. If you still want to send/receive your mail, just click F9. Just give it a try!

that's not possible in my job!

Due to your type of work or environment, can't you apply the above? Then learn to live with it or hone your skills (if it suits your personality and you or others have no problem with it) or... change your environment or work. YOLO after all...

yea, I have to be creative!

Creativity has all the brakes on it. Allow all incentives! Do you need to do a brainstorming session, do you want a quick overview of work at hand, or do you really want to go crazy? Then take a quick look at all your emails and your brain will indeed be hyperactivated

And action!

• start in your calendar & turn off mail signals!
• get in the habit: plan your work & work your plan!
• reward instead of punishing yourself with reading mail but only... after a bigger and more important task!

You as a manager?

• How is your email behavior and what effect on your team?
• What is your team's email behavior and what impact on their collaboration?
• What steps are you going to take to further improve?