When you open email, immediately deal with it

Whenever you receive an email, it is not meant to immediately reply back to it. Of course, there might be a few exceptions for some professionals, but for the rest of us, we do not have to immediately deal with it. We can focus on working on our tasks, or relaxing and have some scheduled periods when we dedicate a few moments to read and if necessary, reply to emails that we receive. Today I would like to suggest you a few things that you might consider to do each time you open your email.

A very productive tip that I have learned from the author of Getting things Done, David Allen can also be applied to our inboxes. If something takes less than two minutes, then do it immediately. Each time you open your inbox, whether it is in your email, or Facebook, before starting to read the messages, do a quick estimation about the time it takes you to read that message and the time it takes you to reply to it, if it is necessary to give a response. If you do not have to respond to it, estimate whether you are able to read the whole message in less than two minutes or during the scheduled time you set. If you are able to read it during the scheduled time spot that you have assigned in your plan, read it first and then archive it or move it to a new folder which you will check back later.

This tip can be used to reduce a lot of stress levels that you might have and can also improve your effectiveness. It is true that email can be a very beneficial tool if it is used correctly. However it can become a ruthless master that can drag your attention the whole time, thus preventing you to be mindful and concentrate on the thing you are currently supposed and committed to do.