Recently published research shows the habit of frequent email checking puts a dent in productivity – a massive dent to the tune of up to 9 hours a week!

The thing about email checking is that your brain takes time to refocus on your main task if you switch over to something else, even for “just a sec.”

In fact, it takes an average of 64 seconds to retrain your brain after even a momentary distraction with one inocuous email.  If you check your email every five minutes, that 30 minute project you started will take you 45 minutes to an hour to accomplish.

This research likens frequent email checking to persistent gambling.  Like a slot machine with a standard payout, you’re checking your inbox dozens of times a day.  Usually, there’s nothing worth checking, but every now and then you’re ‘rewarded’ with something funny, or a little juicy gossip, or a response to something you’re just aching to resolve… so you return again and again, losing daylight with every hit.

Tips?  Of course!

- Turn off alerts.  All the chimes, barks, flashy pop-ups – they are distractions waiting to happen.

- Schedule yourself some email checking time.  Three times a workday should be plenty.  Our predecessors accomplished plenty with only one mail delivery per day.  Maybe they were on to something.

More information and more tips are here.