According to a British study, it takes us over a minute to recover our focus after checking email. That means if you check your email every five minutes or so, you are spending over eight hours a week trying to recover your focus.
That’s one more good reason to stay on task! To get back some of that time, turn off the auto-check feature on your email software. If you use webmail, don’t leave it open in a browser tab all day.
Instead, wait until your attention is already diverted to hit “send/receive.” Do it after you finish a task and your focus is already in limbo. Or before and after lunch when you have a few moments. You will spend less time in transition and more time getting things done in your day.
Email becomes a dangerous distraction | Sidney Morning Herald (via Lifehacker)
Sam Glover is a business and consumer rights lawyer and the creator of Lawyerist.
Lawyerist is the #1 law practice blog. We write about marketing, practice management, career development, and more.