Last night I had an unexpected rush of energy after my last meeting, which ended at 5 pm. I decided to then work in the classroom a bit longer. One of the things I needed to do was send a couple of emails to coworkers and parents, which I had been trying to write in-between breaks for the last two days.
So there I was, with the right level of motivation and with my thoughts aligned, ready to write those emails. I wrote them, and then I scheduled them to be sent at 8 am the following day. This morning, without having to make an effort, those emails went out during my working hours.
A little while ago, I wrote a post about time management and what I’ve discovered and worked well for me. In that post, I talked a bit about limiting working hours and staying within those limits as much as possible. I have gotten a lot better at disconnecting from work once I get home by turning those work email notifications off.
Scheduling occasional emails I write past working hours is my new strategy to keep up with that goal. I’ve been part of many organizations where emails become instant messages, which affects communications in such a significant way. Emails have always been a way to communicate a message that does not require an immediate response, yet we fall into the trap of treating emails as such. I know I’m guilty of it.
I believe it’s often a cultural issue, and it feeds off people’s behavior. If I think my working hours end at some point, that should include my email communications. I’m sure many disagree, but I know the effects of performing in the opposite scenario, and they’re not positive. In my case, ongoing work emails lead to work-related stress and anxiety. I also get cranky.
Now, changing such cultures isn’t easy, but changing the way I use my work email is something I can do. So here’s how the option of “Schedule Send” helps:
- Weekend emails? Schedule send (Sunday or Monday, whenever your week begins)
- Forgot to send an email, and you remember as you eat that late night pasta bowl? Schedule send and include a brief apology.
- Include your “email available” hours in your email signature. For example, “You can reach me via email between 8 am and 5 pm Sunday through Thursday.” Or perhaps even, “I will respond to your email within 24 hours of receiving it.” (This is something I’m still thinking about)
- Going on vacation? Use that “Vacation responder” setting! (which I often forget to activate before turning off all notifications, not cool.)
There will always be essential matters waiting to be dealt with in an email, but the benefits of disconnecting and making my well-being a priority weighs more.
Start with a Story 