E-Mail Addiction 12-Steps Stumbles

netbuzz writes "Talk about offering an alcoholic a drink? No. 2 of 12-step program for e-mail addiction: "Commit to keeping your inbox empty." ... Reuters is reporting today on this program from an executive coach. Here are 11 other reasons why it won't work." I know what the bottom of my inbox looks like, I just only get to see it for a few minutes a year.

They're good suggestions actually.

[JaredOfEuropa]

Perhaps the article is mr. McNamara's poor attempt at humour, but most of those 12 points are actually very good suggestions to help manage your email... If you're stressed because you get too many items in your inbox (or more probably, if you think you're getting too many mails), they'll help a lot. Perhaps they're not so good for overcoming an actual addiction though. For that, step 1 and some discipline is enough.

Most of these tips come from Getting things done [amazon.com], which I can highly recommend if you're stressed out because you feel you have more work than you can manage. It worked wonders for me!

Re:Email is for instant-messaging.

[richie2000]

I've been described as the guy who "turns email into an instant-messaging system."

I coined the phrase "mail-chatting" for that behaviour back in 1996 and been happily addicted since. :-P

10 suggestions

[llZENll]

I think reuters is right, most of the suggestions are pretty worthless.

How about these suggestions:

1) If you are getting email that is routine (for archive purposes), setup scripts to auto file them.

2) Remove your email address from any webpages where it isn't absolutely needed.

3) Change your email address! It may sound harsh, but a fresh start will surely curb your email intake, send your new address out to only the people you MUST stay in touch with. The people who HAVE to contact you will make a call or get your new email some way.

4) Only reply if asked to or it is absolutely necessary. A lot of email is simple yes, or haha comments, which are pretty much worthless and are only wasting yours and others time.

5) If you do reply stay on topic and keep it short as possible, if it is long or complicated this is why will still have those things called phones.

6) Automatically delete and never forward any of those chain letters or joke emails, what a waste of time and bandwidth those things are.

7) If you don't think you are going to reply or dont want to reply within the next 24 hours to an email just delete it, otherwise it will pile up and create a psycological burden for you.

8) Have a good SPAM filter.

9) Setup an autoreply for common questions you get asked.

10) It sounds simple but setup a signature, no point in wasting your time typing your name or website address.

Re:This is just GTD

[arivanov]

And this is the exact reason for the existence of the crackberry and its analogues. Some people consider it essential that any of their messages get through to you now and immediately and you read them regardless of what you are doing at the moment. This is generally the same type of people who forget that freedom of speech actually includes the freedom of not to listen. These are also the same kind of people who cannot comprehend the importance of being able to work without interruption. Hence, here is my simple program for beating email addiction (it will not work for all workflows though):

• Change your workflow to read your email only at fixed intervals at fixed times during the day devoting the rest to doing work. Ensure that you are managing your time, and not email.
• Turn off instant notifications, toolbar email status, cretinberries and analogues.
• Once you have seen what gets missed when doing so create suitable notifications for the really important stuff that cannot and should not be missed. Make sure that important means only events that actually alter your schedule and not every email coming in.
• Rinse, repeat until you get yourself up to 80%+ doing scheduled work instead of interrupt driven one.

Once you have succeeded in this you have beaten your addiction. Been there, done that.