How many times have you opened your email to send a message, only to get diverted by the landslide of waiting messages in your inbox? It’s a common problem, and one of the ways we inadvertently let our inbox run our day.
If you use the Google Chrome browser, there’s an extension to help with this very problem. Inbox When Ready ”makes some changes to the Gmail interface to help you cultivate a better email workflow.” It’s a simple enough process: The extension hides your inbox by default. When you want to see it, you simply click a button to turn it back on.
The extension offers a couple of other bells and whistles, too:
Set an inbox budget. Decide how many times you want to check your inbox and how much total time you want to spend on it. Then, get visual feedback on how you’re doing versus your intention.
Schedule your inbox lockout. Define an inbox lockout schedule so you can focus on deep work and then batch process your mail at optimal moments.
The extension is free to use, though there is a pro version which adds some bonus features. Use Chrome? Protect your focus with Inbox When Ready:
