How often should I check email?

Two to three times daily: morning, midday, before leaving. This prevents constant context switching. Set expectations: "I respond by end of day."

Should email notifications ever be on?

Almost never. Only for critical roles (on-call, customer-facing crisis). For 95% of jobs, batching twice daily is sufficient.

Important people know your phone number. Signal rules: "Email for routine, call/Slack for urgent." This filters what actually is urgent.

Status updates, "I'm focused until X time," delegation templates, and common questions. 20-30 templates reduce decision fatigue significantly.

Peter Kolomiets

|April 7, 2026|Updated Apr 13, 2026|6 min read

Ready to discover your Time Management?

Newport, C. (2016). Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. Grand Central Publishing.
Allen, D. (2001). Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. Viking.
Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Free Press.