Five Little Weeks To Sanity: Is Your Email Controlling You Or Are You Controlling It?

I believe God made us to be in communion with Him and with each other. Sad fact is, many of today's technologies meant to connect us tend to become terrible barriers between us. I marvel to see dozens of people in public places ignoring one another while they have their noses to their text messages or their ears to their cell phones!
Since I simply don't do text messaging and limit my cell phone use, my nemesis is email. It's a great tool. Don't get me wrong, but how many times have you become overwhelmed by your "in" box? Or you start writing and soon realize you've allowed two hours to go by? Or you hear that little bell ring and you run to check it desperate to know who needs you?
In the past three months I've cut my emails down by about 75%! This enables me to be present with my kids when they're home, to spend more time with friends and to feel free to unplug. How did I do it?
Well, I simply posted an auto-responder message that explains that I'll be only checking my email at a specific time since it tends to overwhelm me and that if there is an emergency they can contact me by phone at home or at my office. People have lovingly responded by sending me less email. (Yes, a few felt hurt at first but I explained my dilemna and they completely understood.)
How about you? Is your email controlling you or are you controlling it? I suggest checking it at a specific time and letting people know. For some, it might be just once a week. (That'll really control it. Bravo if you can do that!) For me, it's once a day.
Try it this week.
Let me know how it goes!