Why I Stopped Checking Email All Day (And You Should Too)
How two email times per day bought me back 4 hours of creative work
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Here are 25 story-driven prompts for you to use.
Some thoughts on shooting your shot.
Email used to control my entire day.
I'd check it first thing in the morning, then every 20 minutes until bed. Each notification was an interruption. Each interruption cost me 10-15 minutes of focus time.
I was responding to other people's priorities instead of working on my own.
The breaking point came when I realized I'd spent an entire Tuesday answering emails and hadn't written a single word of my own content.
So I went cold turkey on constant email checking.
My new email rules:
Check email twice daily: 11am and 4pm
Phone stays in airplane mode during creative work
Auto-responder explains my email schedule
Urgent matters get handled via text
The first week was hard. I felt like I was missing something important. But guess what happened?
Nothing. The world didn't end. No emergencies went unhandled. No opportunities disappeared.
What I gained: 3-4 hours of uninterrupted creative time daily.
Most "urgent" emails aren't actually urgent. They're other people's poor planning becoming your emergency.
The real insight: Every email you answer immediately trains people that you're always available. Every delayed response trains them that you have boundaries.
Your creative work is your most important work. Protect it like you'd protect your salary.
Try this: Set specific email times for one week. Use an auto-responder to manage expectations. Notice how much more focused work you accomplish.
More creator energy tips at nicheof.one