Check email in batches
Agree with colleagues on when to expect replies. The study tested email checking, so the same benefit is not established for instant messages.
If your job allows it, check email at planned times instead of reopening it whenever a message arrives.
In a crossover study, an instructed limit of 3 email checks daily lowered stress versus no limit: d = 0.37.
Why consider it?
The study involved adults who used email heavily and had freedom to batch their checking. The same participants experienced restricted and unrestricted checking weeks; their actual checking frequency varied. The standardized effect concerns reported daily stress, not a percentage reduction or an increase in output. The number of emails received and answered did not differ. This short study does not establish the same benefit for jobs requiring immediate replies.
Read the sources
Source grade B is reproduced from the original work. It does not establish suitability for everyone.
Original item: chapter 3, item 5 ↗Adaptation: Rewritten in English from the locked Chinese original; retained evidence grade and study limits. Effect sizes quoted from the cited source; no new literature added.
Make space for a practical habit.
Add this idea to your local checklist.