1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:17,479 Speaker 1: Today's tip is about how to cope with a high 4 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: volume of email when you still need to get other 5 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: stuff done. With the number of messages that many of 6 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: us receive, we could spend our work days doing nothing 7 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: but replying to emails. In a recent episode, we covered 8 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: a hiers survey finding that people on average received about 9 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: a hundred eighty messages a day and spent one third 10 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: of their work time processing email. That episode featured tips 11 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:45,880 Speaker 1: on being a better email sender. Today's episode is about 12 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: how you can become a wiser email recipient, getting the 13 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:52,040 Speaker 1: benefits of email while still getting the rest of your 14 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: work done. The first strategy turn off those notifications already. 15 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 1: I'm sure you've heard this advice a million times, yet 16 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: many people still work to the soundtrack of pings and swooshes. 17 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 1: This does not help anyone's productivity, So today, do something 18 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: about it. When you get to work, adjust the settings 19 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,399 Speaker 1: on your computer and phone so that when you receive 20 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:21,800 Speaker 1: an email, you don't hear it. Even better, close the 21 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:25,319 Speaker 1: email window on your computer and move your email icons 22 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: somewhere other than the home screen of your phone. That way, 23 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 1: you won't see the increasing number of new messages. Email 24 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 1: can wait until you're ready to handle it. The second 25 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 1: strategy designate a few times a day for email instead 26 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 1: of checking email continually. In an article for the Harvard 27 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: Business Review, Ron Friedman compares reading email as soon as 28 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: you receive it to going to the grocery store every 29 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: time you notice you're low on something in your kitchen. Sure, 30 00:01:56,520 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: you could run to the grocery store as soon as 31 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: you see you're on the last half box of cereal, 32 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: But wouldn't you be better off putting cereal on the 33 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: grocery list and continuing with what you were doing. You 34 00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:10,960 Speaker 1: can go to the grocery store later and get everything 35 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:15,240 Speaker 1: on your list at once. We gain similar efficiencies by 36 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:19,080 Speaker 1: handling all our email at specific times every time we 37 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 1: switch activities. There's a cost. When you pause your work 38 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 1: to read an email. You're losing not just the time 39 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 1: it takes to read the email, but also the time 40 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 1: it takes to regain focus. According to research, Freedman sites, 41 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:34,679 Speaker 1: it can take a full twenty minutes before you're back 42 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: in the zone. And while that might be worth it 43 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: for an email from your biggest client asking for a 44 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,680 Speaker 1: new proposal. It's not worth it when what's in your 45 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: inbox is a message reminding people about office fridge policies. 46 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 1: So when should you check email, You should avoid your 47 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 1: best most focus hours. Reserve that time for work on 48 00:02:56,160 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 1: important projects. Try processing email when you're a little sharp, 49 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:03,680 Speaker 1: like in the half hour before lunch or during a 50 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: short break between meetings. Some experts discourage dealing with your 51 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:11,119 Speaker 1: inbox at the beginning of your day at all. That's 52 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 1: because it's so easy to get caught up in what's 53 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: in there that you crowd out other priorities. Indeed, time 54 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: management guru Julie Morgenstern called her best known book never 55 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:25,239 Speaker 1: check email in the morning. And if you can follow 56 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 1: that advice, you might be surprised at just how much 57 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:31,920 Speaker 1: you get done. But if your workplace is such that 58 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 1: people expect email responses quickly, consider handling email once an hour. 59 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: Even spending fifteen minutes in your inbox and then forty 60 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 1: five minutes out allows for concentration on the high value 61 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: work you were hired for. If someone can't wait forty 62 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: five minutes for a response, well then they need to 63 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 1: rediscover the calling function on their phone. My last tip 64 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: during your designated email times, process email rather than just 65 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: checking it. Many people look at email as soon as 66 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 1: they see it, and then glance at the same messages 67 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 1: again and again every time they return to their inboxes. 68 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 1: This is inefficient. Instead, once you've decided to sit down 69 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:18,719 Speaker 1: and deal with email, get yourself as close to current 70 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 1: as makes sense. If a quick response or action is required, 71 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 1: do it. If a conversation or lengthier project is called for, 72 00:04:26,800 --> 00:04:29,599 Speaker 1: make a plan for accomplishing it, either by creating a 73 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 1: calendar item or adding it to your task list. Email 74 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 1: can easily expand to fill all available space, so if 75 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:41,720 Speaker 1: you want to spend less time on email, you have 76 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 1: to commit to giving it less space. If you do, 77 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,440 Speaker 1: you'll be more efficient, you'll create more time for deep work, 78 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 1: and you'll feel calmer while getting more done in the meantime. 79 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:58,160 Speaker 1: This is Laura, Thanks for listening, and here's to making 80 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:06,840 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Okay, Hey, everybody, I'd love 81 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: to hear from you. You can send me your tips, 82 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:13,760 Speaker 1: your questions, or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, 83 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod. That's b The number 84 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: four then Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot 85 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 1: me an email at Before Breakfast podcast at i heeart 86 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:29,600 Speaker 1: media dot com that before Breakfast is spelled out with 87 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:32,360 Speaker 1: all the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to 88 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:40,599 Speaker 1: staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I 89 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:44,600 Speaker 1: heart Radio. 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