Delete It

This week, I've described how I tackle email overload.

⭐ Committing to checking email at certain times of day.

⭐ Turning off problematic notifications.

⭐ Triaging emails from the inbox into folders and building a folder structure.

⭐ Using categories and color coding to tag emails when immediate action is not possible.

What next?

The last tip will seem drastic.

Many people will say it's not possible.

But it is.

➡ Delete your email app from your phone. ⬅

Last summer, I went on vacation.

To protect that time, and ensure I didn't spend my beach hours checking email,

I deleted my email app from my phone.

I did not add it back for over 6 months.

No, I did not miss a true emergency situation.

Here's the deal: if it is an emergency, people know how to contact you in other ways.

And, if you're (almost) always near your computer (or iPad), where you can check email, why do you need the app on your phone?

This helped me stop compulsively checking email on my phone.

I even leave my phone behind a lot more often now, especially for dates with my husband.

I encourage you try this--even if just for one day, for a week, or on your next vacation.

It's freeing to realize it's not a necessity.

And you can still be timely and appropriately responsive without it.

#lawyerwellbeing #professionalwomen #productivity #bestadvice