Declutter Your Inbox

It turns out that taking the time to sort your emails could have a huge impact on your stress levels – here's how to click yourself calm

- Lucia Walker

Do you get that awful sinking feeling every time an email pops up on your screen? An out-of-control inbox can drive even the most calm of us to our third espresso of the morning.

A study by Loughborough University in the UK found that measurements of heart rate, blood pressure and the stress hormone cortisol were shown to peak at points in the day when people’s inboxes were fullest. And it affects your ability to focus, too. Research has shown that it takes the average person between 23 and 25 minutes to refocus on a task after handling incoming emails. Factor in that almost 80% of us say that we check our email regularly throughout the day, and those 20 odd minutes really add up.