Each night I’d be ready for bed, teeth brushed, reading my book and feeling sleepy. ‘Just one more check of my emails’ I’d think to myself before turning the light off, and sure enough my iPhone would buzz and a new email would arrive. The people I work with are all remotely based and spread across the world from as wide as Eastern Russia to Houston in the US. With me being in the UK, this means that through a 24 hour period someone will be working and could be sending you emails.
Getting an email before bed is never a good thing. From just being ready to turn the light off and get some sleep, I’m instantly turned back onto work and thinking about that particular email and also all the other things I need to do tomorrow.
Checking email just before sleep is bad, but it gets worse!
I try really hard to get into the practice of planning my next work day as the last task of the current day. This means I can get up and when I’m ready to start doing stuff I can just get on with the first job rather than think about what it is I have to try to do today. Although these tasks are often planned, what I find myself doing is waking up – sitting up in bed, and checking my emails again! This could even happen before saying good morning to my girlfriend! Usually more emails will be there waiting for me, and this inevitably means the first thing I do each day at my laptop is get going with emails instead of working on the first task I set last night.
I have an iPad and an iPhone. I realised something had to change to help me sleep better at night, be more productive in the morning, and generally feel happier.
Step 1 – Turn off push notifications
Rather than have the phone buzz each time you get an email, if you desperately need to have access to your email via your phone or tablet just sync it up manually when you need to. This allows you to check and reply to emails on your terms rather than being constantly interrupted throughout the day.
Step 2 – Delete your email accounts from mobile devices
This is the step I’ve just ended up taking – and it feels great. No longer can I check emails just before bed and as soon as I wake up! I’ve been sleeping better and also start each day better. If something is amazingly important people can text me or even call my mobile to speak to me!
Our lives shouldn’t be ruled by email. Too many days have gone by where all I have done is spend the day staring at Outlook. By deleting email on my mobile devices it’s helping me get email under control and only check and answer when I want to.
Next goal is to only check email twice a day!
I think you could be on to something there! Not sure I have the balls to remove it from my phone!