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Most people have experienced a toddler coming up to them, pulling on their pant leg or trying desperately to get their attention. They are usually quite persistent and don't give up until you completely stop what you're doing and give them your undivided attention.

Email notification sounds and symbols are your nagging toddlers in the office. Flashing icons, chimes/beeps or desktop alerts (those obnoxious balloons in the lower right hand corner of your screen) all serve one purpose: To interrupt your focus and turn your attention to email.

Desktop alerts are the most convincing of email alerts. They appear in the lower right hand corner of your screen as if to say, "I know you're focused on that report right now, but I wanted to let you know I just arrived. I just might be important so you'd better click on me within the next three seconds otherwise I'm going to fade away and be gone."

And because 70% of email alerts get a response within six seconds, you very quickly leave the project you were so intent on and hover your mouse over the balloon before it fades into oblivion. And before you know it, you've spent the next 15 minutes in your email before asking the question "Now what was I just doing?"

When email notification sounds and symbols are enabled, email is in the driver's seat; it manages you versus you managing it. These interruptions waste your time, your energy and your focus. They get you to do things you never intended to do, and spend time originally planned for other things.

© Audrey Thomas