--- description: Spam alone wastes 20 hours of your life every year. title: How to Stop Email From Taking Over Your Life image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt082c5990b7f455ba/6986a44306f2c1cdb3330d0a/455808005.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Ideas](/section/ideas/) ## Ideas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # How You Can Stop Email From Taking Over Your Life by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 19, 2014 4:01 AM CUT  Working with Computer Working with ComputerTommL—Vetta/Getty Images by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 19, 2014 4:01 AM CUT We send, and receive, a _lot_ of email. Via [The Tyranny of E-Mail](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005SN5GLW/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005SN5GLW&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20 "undefined"): --- > “” --- **The Downside of Email** All forms of communication are not created equal. E-mail does a terrible job of conveying emotions: Via [The Tyranny of E-Mail](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005SN5GLW/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005SN5GLW&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20 "undefined"): --- > “” --- Too much time at the keyboard and not enough time with people may [reduce the ability to read nonverbal signals, to judge the intent of others and influence them](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-too-much-computer-time-degrade-social-sk "undefined"): --- > “” --- Steven Johnson suggests that by stripping away the emotional information in faces and intonation, email and text messaging might be simulating autism. Via [Mind Wide Open: Your Brain and the Neuroscience of Everyday Life](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743241665/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0743241665&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20 "undefined"): --- > “” --- People [lie more via email](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-people-more-likely-to-lie-to-you-via-emai "undefined"). Communicating via email (vs. face-to-face) makes people less cooperative and makes them [feel more justified in being noncooperative](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-email-turn-you-into-an-asshole "undefined"): --- > “” --- Basically, too much communication via e-mail can turn you into a jerk. **Stress Up, Intelligence Down** Email [stresses us out](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-email-killing-us "undefined"): --- > “” --- And: --- > “” --- Constant e-mails and texts have the effect of reducing mental ability by an average of about 10 IQ points. For men, it’s about three times the effect of smoking marijuana. Via [Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061771295/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061771295&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20 "undefined"): --- > “” --- Spam alone wastes [20 hours of your life](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-much-time-does-email-spam-waste-per-perso "undefined") every year. On a bigger note, too much e-mail time can make you unhappy. We frequently use technology like email to _replace_ relationships. This is [bad](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-facebook-making-us-lonely "undefined"). Technology can [increase](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-technology-make-us-more-or-less-happy "undefined") [happiness](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-the-internet-make-people-happier "undefined") and improve relationships if you leverage it to [connect with other people face-to-face](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-you-can-use-technology-to-make-you-happie "undefined"). **What’s The Solution?** Below are three great methods. I personally use the first two. The third is a going-nuclear option for those who are beyond the point of no return. **1) Batching** Turn off all notifications on your desktop and mobile email clients. Set it up so you can send email without automatically checking. Then designate 2 or 3 times a day when you’ll look at and respond to email. And stick to those. Tim Ferriss explains [here](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307465357/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307465357&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20 "undefined"): --- > “” --- **2) Inbox Zero** Get that inbox empty and keep it empty using this system. The creator of the method, Merlin Mann, explains it best in [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9UjeTMb3Yk "undefined"). More info [here](http://inboxzero.com/ "undefined"). **3) Email bankruptcy** Are you so hopelessly behind that you can’t even imagine catching up? Well, if you need a nuclear option, this is it. _Declare e-mail bankruptcy_: Send a bulk email saying you’re going to do a reset. You’re sorry but you can’t and won’t be replying to all the emails clogging your inbox. Then archive everything. Yes, there will be pain. And the reset will generate a lot of new e-mail. But for many this is the only way to start fresh. Don’t be embarrassed — some of the internet’s luminaries have had to resort to it: Via [The Tyranny of E-Mail](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005SN5GLW/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B005SN5GLW&linkCode=as2&tag=spacforrent-20 "undefined"): --- > “” --- After the bankruptcy is the single best time to implement inbox zero, simply because you will (at least briefly) have an empty inbox. You should also designate your batch times. What else can you do to claw back precious hours from the digital gremlins? * More on productivity [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/6-things-that-will-make-you-more-productive "undefined"). * More on using tech to increase happiness [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-you-can-use-technology-to-make-you-happie "undefined"). * More on killing bad habits and starting good ones [here](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-are-the-5-steps-for-changing-bad-habits "undefined"). _This piece originally appeared on_ [_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/ "undefined")_._ **Join over 100,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD "undefined")**.** Related posts: [What 10 things should you do every day to improve your life?](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/05/what-10-things-should-you-do-every-day-to-imp/ "undefined") [How To Make Your Life Better By Sending Five Simple Emails](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/07/make-your-life-better/ "undefined") [4 Lifehacks From Ancient Philosophers That Will Make You Happier](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/01/ancient-philosophers/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3399695/stop-email/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3399695/stop-email/"},"headline":"How You Can Stop Email From Taking Over Your Life","datePublished":"2014-09-19T04:01:58.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T07:55:00.155Z","description":"Spam alone wastes 20 hours of your life every year.","url":"https://time.com/3399695/stop-email/","keywords":["Business topic"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt082c5990b7f455ba/6986a44306f2c1cdb3330d0a/455808005.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eric Barker","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eric-barker/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt082c5990b7f455ba/6986a44306f2c1cdb3330d0a/455808005.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"455808005","caption":"455808005","creditText":"TommL—Vetta/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3399695/stop-email/","name":"How You Can Stop Email From Taking Over Your Life"}}]}] ```