Does Your Work Email Keep You Up At Night?

Typically, people sleep with at least one mobile device next to their beds each night. Not only do they keep them close 24/7, but they often check their work email in the evenings and on weekends. Ultimately, this has become an extension of the workday and at the detriment of the employee, their work, and their personal life.

Let’s really consider and perhaps work to rein this issue in. The following 6 reasons exemplify the need to address the habit of checking your work email at night:

1. You diminish your problem-solving capabilities.

When you check your email after hours, you limit your ability to think beyond the next problem, challenge, or task. It’s imperative that you shift your mind from work and focus on other areas of your life in order to stay sharp.

2. You need moments of sacred idleness.

We need to disconnect and even be idle occasionally in order to function at our best. Engaging in emails after hours when we should be disengaged only serves to reduce our resources to be nurtured by the present moment. Read more about the value of disconnecting in my article, Doing Nothing Is Really Something.

3. You reduce your ability to be more productive during the workday.

People frequently tell me that they are tied up in meetings all day and can’t focus on email until the evening. However, I bet you could carve out 15-20 minutes of concentrated time to knock out some email during the workday.

4. You set a bad expectation for others.

As a leader, talk with your team about the importance of a healthy personal life outside of work. Then, be a good example and resist the urge to send that 10:00 PM email. Jot your thought down and send the email out at an appropriate time the next morning.

5. You create too many “open loops” for your brain.

According to research, our minds dislike unfinished tasks. When you check your email in the evening, you’ll see more work that needs to be done, which gets your mind racing. While sleeping on an idea is great, you don’t want to sleep on multiple ideas that surfaced during your little late-night email check.

6. You miss the power of the present moment.

To be transparent, I’ve ruined my share of evenings with my family because I checked my work email and got distracted. Even if I didn’t physically address that seemingly important “right now” issue, I wasn’t being an attentive listener to my daughters or wife. Being fully present shows others that you value them while recharging your mental and emotional energy.

Need a Solution?

If you’re struggling with how to handle work email after hours, then consider these tips to move in a more positive direction:

• Decipher if it’s culture or policy. Figure out if it’s an official expectation to read emails outside of work or an implied one.

• Start the conversation. Share with your team that downtime is essential to renew your energy and encourage them to embrace it.

• Clarity about the expectation of a response. If you must send a late-night email, then type “NRN” (No response needed) at the end of the subject line.

• Set boundaries. Whether it’s for you or your team, establish times when sending or responding to email is discouraged.

So, make it a great week and resist the urge to engage in yet another round of checking your work email after hours. Not only will you reap the benefits, but those on your team and in your personal life will appreciate it as well.