03-005 · EVIDENCE B · LOW-RISK READING
Batch-process emails and messages a few times per day
把邮件和消息改成每天固定几次批量处理
No monetary cost. However, it takes some time to explain to colleagues how often you’ll be checking messages. It also requires a bit of willpower to resist the urge to check them constantly.
The same group of participants was studied over two weeks. During the week when they limited email checks to just three times per day, their daily stress levels dropped noticeably compared to the unrestricted week — while the total number of emails sent and received stayed the same. Without any limits, people checked their emails an average of 15.5 times per day.
B
Move “Batch-process emails and messages a few times per day” to Future Me's calendar
The excuse
The routine already works until the day the source says it may not.
What feels good now
Today I keep a few minutes, a bit of persistence and avoid interrupting my default routine.
What the source says
The source summarizes the return this way: “The same group of participants was studied over two weeks. During the week when they limited email checks to just three times per day, their daily stress levels dropped noticeably compared to the unrestricted week — while the total number of emails sent and received stayed the same. Without any limits, people checked their emails an average of 15.5 times per day.” Evidence grade B. The original states the population, caveats, and sources; this is not a personal forecast.
Open the original entry, check who the evidence applies to, then pick one small step that fits.
THE ENGLISH EDITION
Original recommendation and evidence
5. Batch-process emails and messages a few times per day
Cost: No monetary cost. However, it takes some time to explain to colleagues how often you’ll be checking messages. It also requires a bit of willpower to resist the urge to check them constantly.
In plain terms: The same group of participants was studied over two weeks. During the week when they limited email checks to just three times per day, their daily stress levels dropped noticeably compared to the unrestricted week — while the total number of emails sent and received stayed the same. Without any limits, people checked their emails an average of 15.5 times per day.
Benefit: In a two-week self-controlled trial involving 124 adults, those who limited email checks to three times daily experienced significantly lower daily stress than when they checked freely (effect size: Cohen’s d = 0.37). The overall volume of emails received and replied to did not differ between the two conditions. Without restrictions, participants checked emails 15.5 times per day on average.
Evidence grade: B
Sources: Kushlev & Dunn (2015). Checking email less frequently reduces stress. Computers in Human Behavior. <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.11.005>
Notes: Only one study has examined this approach, showing a modest effect size. It measured stress levels rather than actual work output. No direct research exists on limiting instant messaging checks; this recommendation is extrapolated from similar email studies.
Read the complete Chinese source and notes
5. 把邮件和消息改成每天固定几次批量处理
成本: 不花钱。要花点时间跟同事说清楚你多久回一次。忍住不随时翻邮件，需要一点毅力。
说人话: 同一批人对比了两周。把邮件限制成每天只查 3 次的那一周，日常压力明显更低，而收发的邮件数量一样多。不加限制的时候，人平均每天要查 15.5 次。
收益: 124 名成年人，两周里同一批人前后对比（自身对照）。限制为每天查 3 次邮件的那周，日常压力明显低于不限次数那周（效果大小 Cohen's d = 0.37）。两周收到和回复的邮件数量并没有差别。一开始不加限制时，人们平均每天查邮件 15.5 次。
证据等级: B
来源: Kushlev & Dunn (2015). Checking email less frequently reduces stress. Computers in Human Behavior. <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.11.005>
备注: 只有一项研究，效果中等偏小，量的是压力，不是干出来的活。即时消息没人直接研究过，这里只是照着推的。
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