What Happened When I Took Work Email Off My Phone

I’ll never forget the day I took work email off my phone.

(Or the days, weeks, and months that followed for that matter.)

My new iPhone had just been delivered to the house and I was like that kid on Christmas morning who couldn’t wait a single second more to get it all set up.

(Don’t judge. You do it, too!)

When I got to setting up email, I couldn’t remember my work email password (and, if I’m being honest, was too lazy to get up to look it up), so I just didn’t set it up.

That’s right. You heard me. I just shrugged it off and made a mental note to do it later.

Only later never came.

In fact, my phone has been work-email-free for almost FOUR years now.

I didn’t know it then, but that unconscious decision to take work email off my phone was a serious game-changer. And now the conscious decision to keep my phone work-email-free has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made for my life and business.

Which is saying something because when I first started my business, I thought having work email on my phone was cool. I would read and respond to an email within minutes (sometimes even seconds) of hearing that ding or feeling that buzz. It made me feel important. Like I was a badass boss babe answering email anytime, anywhere.

But then I took work email off my phone and everything changed.

[bctt tweet=”An inside look at what taking work email off your phone really looks like!” username=”productivityzne”]

Today, I want to give you an inside look at what did and didn’t happen when I took work email off my phone. I would (normally) give you a list of the pros and cons for business decisions like this, but honestly, there were no cons. Only pros. So instead, I’m going to share with you what changed, how I felt, and the incredible benefits that were the result of taking work email off my phone—for good.

WHAT DID (AND DIDN’T) HAPPEN WHEN I TOOK WORK EMAIL OFF MY PHONE

Probably the biggest and best surprise of taking work email off my phone was the fact that the world didn’t end. (#nobutreally) I really thought that not having work email on my phone would be a world-ender. (Some of you reading this may be thinking the same thing.) But it wasn’t. I’m living proof that the world kept right on turning.

Another surprise was that nobody got mad at me. That is to say, nobody sent any scathing messages or tried to beat down my inbox’s door because I didn’t get back to them within a few minutes. This is probably because I was (and still am) very diligent about getting back to people in a timely manner.

A third surprise was that I didn’t miss anything. The emails (which included opportunities, questions, replies, and more) didn’t disappear because I wasn’t checking my inbox around-the-clock or on-the-go anymore. They were sitting there waiting for me the next time I sat down at my computer and logged on.

LIFE AFTER TAKING WORK EMAIL OFF MY PHONE

One of the absolute best parts about taking work email off my phone was that I didn’t start or end my day reading emails anymore. I had this really awful habit of checking my email immediately after waking up each morning and as I was crawling into bed each night. (I even remember replying to an email after 11:30 pm once 🤦🏼‍♀️) Talk about stressful!!

Cutting these terrible habits off at the knees by completely taking away even the opportunity to check email on my phone (no matter the time of day) was incredibly stress-relieving and freeing!

Bonus: I found I fell asleep quicker and started my day happier!

In doing so, I found I became a more effective and efficient emailer. Instead of feeling stress and pressure to read and reply to emails all the time (and literally feeling like I was spending all day in my inbox), I started sitting down to tackle my inbox twice each day.

Instead of hurriedly typing out a response on my phone (and more than likely hitting send with a few typos), I was able to calmly reply, ensure I hadn’t missed something, easily attach files, and effectively clear my inbox more efficiently.

Bonus: No more typos! 😉

Lastly, I found I was more present in my everyday life. I didn’t jump to check or answer an email every time I heard a ding or felt a buzz. I actually looked up from my phone and paid attention to the people in front of me and what was going on around me. Again, so freeing!!

Bonus: My phone has been work-email-free for almost 4 years now and I have never once missed or even regretted not having work email on my phone!

Related Posts: How to Effectively Cut Back on Screen Time + Have You Set Business Boundaries? Why You Need to Be! + Productivity Myths You Can Kick to the Curb This Year

[bctt tweet=”Taking work email off your phone is a step toward a more balanced life and business!” username=”productivityzne”]

HOW TO TAKE WORK EMAIL OFF YOUR PHONE

Ok, friends. Who’s ready to take work email off their phone?! 🙋🏼

It’s surprisingly simple. Here’s what you do:

1. Open Settings from your Home screen.
2. Scroll down and tap Mail.
3. Tap Accounts.
4. Tap the account/email address you want to delete.
5. Scroll down and tap sign out or delete account.
6. Bask in that freeing feeling!

*These instructions are for the iPhone as that’s what I have.

If you are freaking out about taking work email off your phone, I urge you to go back and reread this post and then take baby steps!!

Try a one-week trial period. Or turn your email account off on nights and weekends. Or leave your phone in another room to charge so work email isn’t the last thing you see before going to bed or the first thing you see when you wake up.

(P.S. This means you’ll probably have to *gasp* get and use an actual alarm clock! 😱)

I triple dog dare you to give it a try!!

Friends. Just because we can be connected to work all the time, doesn’t mean we need or have to be. Taking work email off your phone might just be the first game-changing boundary you need for a more balanced life and business.

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