At first, email messaging was used as a way of sharing short bits of information and keeping those receiving them up to date. It enabled messages and tasks to be delivered quickly and widely. Somewhere down the line, though, this all changed – only to be further exacerbated during the first lockdown.
Emails have started to replace meetings and are used for everything from organising our calendars to problem-solving. Even before lockdown, it was not unusual for an email to be sent to recipients who are sitting next to each other in the same office, giving information with absolutely no interaction.
This wide misuse of email has led to full inboxes and, ultimately, has contributed to workplace burnout across the UK workforce. Email has become a relentless form of communication that, like an over-flowing pot, can feel as though it’s never-ending.
While some are better than others at dealing with it, email overkill impacts every one of us. We are all vulnerable to the demand from emails and the disruption it brings to our working day.
When it comes to coping mechanisms, there are two schools of thought: those who avoid it entirely and have to wade through on a daily basis to make sure they are picking out relevant messages, and those who tackle their inboxes by working through them on a regular basis.
