Yikes! another email popped up in in my work inbox, gotta reply to it NOW!
I had always felt compelled to reply to work emails ASAP. In the end, I probably built a well-deserved reputation for myself for being “quick and responsive”. But at what cost?
I stressed myself out for replying to every single email immediately, and got anxious when other people didn’t reply and my work was stuck as a result. My thumbs cramped up so often from typing on the blackberry. I would log on into work email from home over the weekend or in the evening just to keep clearing up emails.
But maybe, that’s not necessary. The world will not die even if I hold on for an hour, or maybe even a day or two, before I get around to replying to emails. And anyways, hard to accept but I’m really not that important in the company structure. It will stand.
In my humble opinion, if you are logging on your work email remotely from home the minute you step through the door, or first thing in the morning, and / or looking at your blackberry every few minutes, have an urge to turn it on over the weekends, on holidays, in the middle of the night, immediately after getting of a flight – or rather, not turn it off at all 24/7 – I’d say you are pretty stressed, very addicted to your blackberry, and leading quite an unhealthy lifestyle.
Take your time out!!!
It will require a bit of searching but subscribe to 43 folders podcast. They are pretty good on how to manage you working life. They had a podcast a while back on email management.
Forgetting about emails is terrible but replying to fast is not good. Important to leave emails for 15/20 then answer them. Separate the important ones with the not important ones.
Another good podcast is Tedtalks.
yah… thanks for that 🙂 but now i’m just not emailing hahaha. howz your move? settled in?
My partner used to type on her crackberry at all hours of the night while i was asleep next to her. The tapping on the keys used to drive me nuts and finally I had to yell at her to stop, but then she just got out of bed or did it under the pillow. Finally we had to break up : (
🙁 i used to type under the pillow or in the living room or in the bathroom as well. my bf put his foot down and just hid the bb… sigh. crackberry. cracks our lives eh?
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