The 5 Fun Facts You Didn’t Know About Your Work Email

You’ve just started your morning run when it happens. Buzz. That’s a work email, and what used to be your calm state of focusing on breathing has turned into anxieties about sending an email too late.

It happens. We’re connected all the time. Ravin Carr, CCO of GBS (the creator behind FewClix for Outlook) provides his take on the “email problem.”

Have you ever gone a day without checking your email? If the answer is “no” then you’re not alone. According to a study from Kelton Global, Americans now spend 92 minutes a day on average with their email. It has become a necessary form of communication in the increasingly digital workplace and is tied to everything from your desktop to your smartphone and even your wearables. It literally follows you around everywhere!

The impact is not just physical: email causes serious mental stress according to 38 million Americans.

So, what’s the real impact of having email attached to your side? Here are five fun facts you probably didn’t know—but likely apply to how you interact with email every day!

Fun Fact #1

It’s the first thing you think about in the morning.

The alarm clock goes off, but then what? More than 40 percent of Americans say they instinctually reach for their phones and check their email – before leaving bed.

Fun Fact #2

You spend more time with email than you do at the gym.

Email is one of the greatest time thieves around. Americans spend twice as much time with email than they do exercising. The impact is not just physical: email causes serious mental stress according to 38 million Americans. In fact, the more emails that are in an employee’s inbox, the more stress they reportedly feel. Not only does this contribute to poor health, but it takes you away from other important tasks, too.

Fun Fact #3

You’ve thought about (or checked!) email while in the bathroom or while in bed with someone.

Your email is literally everywhere. Whether it’s showering or brushing your teeth, you may be among the nearly 20 percent who say they’ve thought about their inbox while doing these tasks. What’s more, Millennials are more likely to think about or even check email while in bed with someone!

Fun Fact #4

Organizing email makes you less productive!

Have you ever found yourself sorting through your inbox looking for one particular email from a boss or colleague? Or perhaps you’ve spent copious amounts of time sorting and filing away your emails in order to achieve the elusive “Inbox Zero.” Either way, it’s decreasing your productivity. One in six Americans admit that this routine of trying to keep their inbox organized is actually making them less productive.

Fun Fact #5

Email is distracting you from life.

What does email distract us from? Family, friends and life. One in five Americans say technology, including email, is disconnecting them from their loved ones. In fact, one in five parents admit their email has stolen their attention while spending time with their child.

What if you had one hour more to your day – what would you do? Spending time with loved ones, relaxing or sleeping top Americans’ wish list.

Email is not going away any time in the near future, but that doesn’t mean it should run your life and keep you from the things you care about most. If there’s anything these fun facts should tell you, it is that email is invasive and distracting.

There are habits you can form today to keep you from thinking about email from the moment you wake until the moment you turn in at night. Here’s one example: learn how to use your email’s native search function so you find messages without spending hours organizing and filing. You may even look into an enhanced search function add-on that can help you do this even more efficiently and quickly.  This is just one way to take back control of your inbox. Look out for a follow up post with more tricks and tips to help you beat the email time suck!