Why checking emails hurts relaxation

I used to be a chronic morning email checker. The first thing I'd do after silencing my alarm was reach for my phone, squinting at the bright screen to see what "urgent" messages had come in overnight. It felt productive, like I was getting a head start on the day. But in reality, I was setting myself up for distraction and stress before I'd even had my first cup of coffee. While many of us default to checking our email or getting caught up in Slack first thing in the morning, I love the mornings when I practice our tactic called "Skip the Morning Check-In" (#23). The idea is simple but powerful: resist the urge to check your email, messaging apps, social media, or news first thing in the morning. Here's why it works: When you wake up, you've had a nice long break from the Busy Bandwagon and Infinity Pools. Your mind is fresh, rested, and free from distractions. It's a golden moment of calm and clarity. But as soon as you fire up that screen, you start a tug-of-war between the present moment and everything out there on the Internet. Suddenly, you're thinking about work emails, stressing over news headlines, or getting sucked into social media drama. By skipping the morning check-in, you preserve that feeling of rested calm. It's easier to get into Laser mode and focus on your Highlight for the day. I’ve found it’s helpful to set myself up for success the night before by closing all my browser tabs (#26), logging out of Gmail, LinkedIn, and X (#18), and powering down my phone. When I wake up, I brush my teeth, drink some water, do a super short meditation, then make my coffee and dive straight into my Highlight without any digital distractions. The key is to postpone that first check-in as long as you can. Maybe it's until 9 a.m., or 10 a.m., or even after lunch. Trust me, those emails and notifications will still be there when you're ready to face them. Give it a try this week. See how long you can go without checking in, and notice how it affects your mood and focus. You might be surprised at how much calmer your mornings become.

Your breaks have a serious problem: They're not really breaks at all. Checking emails isn't rest. It's like trying to charge your phone while using it. That’s not downtime — that’s slow-time. And guess what? Slow-time drains you more than work. It splits your focus without reward. It's death by a thousand distractions. I've watched thousands make this mistake: • They read texts during lunch • Check Slack on coffee breaks • Answer emails between meetings Slow-time is sneaky. It feels like rest but it keeps your mind churning. Your battery never recharges. Real downtime means one thing: Complete disconnection. That could be: • A 10-minute walk without your phone • Lunch away from your desk • Five minutes of deep breathing • Stretching between tasks You wouldn’t refuel your car while driving. So don’t work while you rest. Any thing less is just task switching.

Your phone is a threat to your brain. At least, your brain sees it that way. With all the notifications and constant pinging/tagging/DM’ing/emailing, your brain treats these technological interruptions as threats. Every notification, every loading screen, every "spinning wheel of death" on a webpage triggers your brain’s fight-or-flight response. With the average office worker checking their email up to every 6 minutes, that's 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟬𝟬 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆. And that’s just with your phone. Take in the commute, office politics, and other potential areas of stress, it’s no wonder you can’t seem to relax! The solution is a bit of tough-love, but I need to share it with you: create "notification-free zones." • Turn off all non-essential notifications after working hours • Use "focus mode" during deep work to keep notifications to a bare minimum • Check messages at designated times only • Have a “burner phone” that you use at home and on the weekend which does not have additional apps on it. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀: No notifications for the first hour after waking. Your brain deserves a calm start. (Even just start with 30-minutes if an hour is too much to consider at first.) Your attention is your most valuable asset. How are you protecting it? #DigitalWellness #Neuroscience #Productivity #Attention