#1 of 7 Reasons to Keep the Inbox Empty: An Overloaded Inbox Causes Stress

The inbox is often filled with a backlog of weeks or months of old work yet to be accomplished, messages that need a reply (including an apology for being so tardy), and irrelevant messages that have to be weeded out.

Even if none of the emails require any action, they are still ‘unfinished business’ which require filing or deleting at some point in the future, (either by you or the IT department).

This backlog of unfinished email creates a ‘psychological drag’ that slows down your mental clarity and focus. Many people report feelings of being overwhelmed, guilty and ‘out-of-control’ - there’s often a nagging, subconscious sense you’re not keeping up with everything, that your work is never up-to-date; that you’re constantly playing ‘catch up’.

How much email causes stress?

In a recent Harris Interactive survey, 94% of people said the most amount of e-mail they can receive before feeling some degree of stress is 50 messages. So, how many are sitting in your inbox right now? And how does that make you feel?

By contrast, an empty inbox is a delight to look at - it makes you feel empowered, calm, in control and up-to-date. It improves your morale. You have time, energy and mental space for higher priorities, creative tasks and meaningful engagement with colleagues and clients. It also forces you to start thinking about higher priority tasks and activities as you can no longer just keep yourself busy attending to the inbox.