How to Start Your Day off on the Wrong Foot

The alarm rings. (or baby cries)  

You are awake.

What is the first thing you do?

One of the first things I do in the morning when I wake up is check my email. (And of course, make coffee).  I LIKE checking my email. It’s fun to see who has written.  It’s also kind of a mystery, you never know what you might get! A job offer? A compliment? A funny note from your friend? But in efforts to try and tame my email addiction, last summer I shut off my email for days when I went on vacation and gathered up ways to Manage Your Email in 5 Simple Steps. I would like to reiterate why checking your email (personal, work, or both) in the morning is a bad idea, and for these reasons I am trying to kick the habit for good.

Checking your email in the morning is a surefire way to start your day off on the wrong foot.

While you are snoozing, you may encounter the following messages have landed in your inbox:

1. At least one spam message or advertisement you never signed up for – This annoys you.

2. A parent or colleague with a question or concern – This gives you a feeling of urgency.

3. A reminder of something you need to to – Enter Guilt.

4. A nice note from a friend/relative – This is good.

When you check your email right away in the morning, you are allowing outside influences to get into your head, and your day, before you’ve even had a chance to SET your intention and disposition for the day.  It’s like you are letting the emails decide. DON’T LET THE EMAIL WIN.

What are some ways you start the day off on the right foot?

Any email management tricks out there?