One micro-action to reduce email overwhelm

Here is a quick tip on dealing with overwhelm from day-to-day stress. This is the one thing I get consistent positive feedback on from clients, colleagues, and strangers. I've heard everything from “This is such a good idea!” to “I really appreciate your intention here; I'm even more excited to be working with you on this project!”?

And it's one of the easiest things you can do that doesn't require a lot of time or energy. My auto-responder in my email. Yep, that's it.?

I have my email set up to auto-respond using the Gmail vacation settings across all my different accounts. I first saw this from another colleague that I was partnering with on a project and thought that it was the perfect way to (1) manage someone's expectation on how you interact with them, (2) communicate thoughtfulness and intention, and (3) challenge the toxic productivity culture that we've all been so accustomed to where immediate responses have become commonplace. The message varies depending on what the account is used for, but generally speaking, it says something like…

“Thank you for your email. Please note that I spend most of my day in meetings. It normally takes me 24-48 hours to respond to emails so that I have adequate time to be intentional and thoughtful. If your message is urgent, please resend and add ”URGENT" to the subject line or text me and I will respond as soon as I can. In the meantime, thank you for your patience. I look forward to getting in touch with you soon. Regards, Taina."

You can steal this if you want to. In fact, many already have. This isn't trademarked or copyrighted. Feel free to change it to suit your needs. Make it shorter, a bit longer, add more detail, or take it away. Change hours to business days. Add your phone number. Ask them to call if urgent instead of text. However you wish to make this yours, do it.?

Do this today and watch your overwhelm begin to decrease immediately. Why? Because setting this type of boundary relieves you of the dread that you feel every time you open your inbox. You will no longer feel anxiety about having to respond to your messages because you've already established a timeline and this will create mental and emotional space for you to prioritize your needs, not the needs of others.?

I know this will help and I hope that you implement this ASAP! And if you'd like to discuss further ways to reduce overwhelm and stress, book one of my 90-minute strategic intensives at this link and let's work on putting a long-term plan in place that will help you feel at ease every day.?