I just got back from a vacation, and boy are my fingers tired.
That’s because I spent a good part of the time I was in Vermont checking my e-mail. In fact, my brother, my fiancée and I all brought laptops to the cozy lodge where we were staying. My brother also had a BlackBerry, and I had an iPhone.
Since the lodge’s wireless Internet was available only in the lobby, bar and pool area, we made special trips to get online. When I got back to work, I got a call that made me realize I wasn’t alone.
A new survey found that 83 percent of e-mail users check their inboxes at least once a day while on vacation.
Researchers from America Online and the ap Research Corp. based their conclusion on online surveys about e-mail habits with 4,025 people ages 13 and older in 20 cities. The researchers asked people how many e-mail accounts they have, how often they check them, if they have a BlackBerry or portable device and whether they’ve ever e-mailed in the bathroom, while they drive or in church.
Although the term “e-mail addiction” has a negative connotation, I’m not here to say this behavior is good or bad. Whether you check your e-mail every time a new message arrives or only several times a day, you should feel comfortable with how often you check your e-mail and be able to manage your messages.
“You need a game plan, and you have to stick with it,” said Regina Lewis, AOL’s consumer adviser. “The survey is a good reminder to look at yourself in the mirror and say, ‘Is this making me more productive or is this a disruption to my life?”‘
Here’s some advice from Lewis on taking control of your e-mail:
Turn off the audio prompt telling you when you have a new message. If your computer or BlackBerry is always on or with you, turn off the sound or vibration that signals a new message has arrived. That way you won’t be drawn in every time you hear the noise.
Follow the 10-minute rule on vacation. This is something I should have done in Vermont. If you must check your e-mail on vacation, do it for 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes at night.
Set start times and curfews. Check your e-mail for the first time at 8 a.m. and for the last time at 5 p.m., not when you wake up and before you go to sleep. Checking e-mail first thing can suck you in and wreak havoc on your schedule.
This strategy has worked well for Larry Hendrick, 50, of Apopka, Fla. He’s a self-employed telecommunications consultant who sells phones and data services to businesses.
“My clients know that if they e-mail me at 6 p.m., I will not reply until the next day,” he said. “Part of the reason I run my own business is so I am not controlled by work, so why let it happen with e-mail?”
4. Use the out-of-office reply. Lewis says a big part of controlling e-mail is managing the expectations of others. If people expect you to reply immediately, it’s a good idea to set an automated reply when you can’t.
