Working with e-mail: methods of psychological defense

The main problem in the e-mail is not that bad, you set up a spam filter or sort messages into folders. Just sometimes the letters are so many and they arrive with such speed that it seems you are about to be overwhelmed by a wave of information and you will forever remain a prisoner of these RE: RE: RE: RE, and FWD. But you can not help it, and his hands and pulled. So the problem is not productivity or adjustment of the electronic system. It lies in relation to all this. And if you know, how our head, it is possible to build an effective system of protection and to work not only more productive, but also to avoid unnecessary stress.

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Reciprocity

Reciprocity - is when you answer a person in return - good for good, blow for blow. Robert Cialdini, a guru of persuasion, said reciprocity is one of the 6 basic principles of influence - do something to someone so that they feel they should.

Reciprocity works in e-mails. When we send emails that contain a simple meta-message "I am very interested in what you are doing" "I am waiting for your response," they are an invitation to a social meeting and, as a result, you get more responses. The same applies to us when we simply can not fail to respond to such a letter.

Think about your thoughts and feelings when you last a long time did not check your e-mail - it unpleasant sensation that dozens or hundreds of people are waiting in anguish for your response, because without you all sank. But in reality all this correspondence is nothing more than a social lubricant (nothing important and urgent). And that leads to ...

Reaping the fruits of such activities

Our selfish part loves to receive letters, because it once again confirms our value to society. Animal part of our brain uses simple rules for processing of such remuneration. The most fundamental of these rules is the law of effect (Law of Effect), which lies in the fact that, if followed by a reward, the animals will begin to do it more often for the signal. That is, we are with you in this regard are Pavlov's dogs.

But the process of checking email is designed so that adds a bunch of one more rule that our brain uses to receive the award. Irregular promotion have a special power that makes us check your inbox again and again. This rule was discovered by psychologists in the early XX century and they actively used the owners of gambling institutions (whether people will continue to play the machines, if they give you a predictable only 80% spent on them money?).

Elektronku like whispering quietly in our minds throughout the day, "Try me! Suddenly there is something important, interesting or even fun? "And in order not to get caught on the hook, set up your mailbox so so he took time all mail only at certain times, and you do not drip on the brain every time will come new letter. Naturally, this applies to desktop software, and applications.

Close of thrills

Hyperbolic discounting - is another feature of how we are programmed to think of reward. This means that the longer you need to wait for a reward, the less it costs for us. That is, it turns out an inverse relationship, which means that we prefer to devour the marshmallow right now, what will be waiting for the second marshmallow after 20 minutes. He has for us is something ghostly (and suddenly will not allow?), And this here - right in front of our nose and smells.

Now transfer this email. The longer you do not check your inbox, the less your interest in the contents of the mailbox. And the more you look into it, the more interest. And try not to check it at least for one day - all messages seem to be not so much matter. And if you did not look back in a week (were on vacation), you need to check your emails become something of a punishment.

Another problem lies in the fact that the e-mails we receive almost instantly after they are sent. Therefore, the temptation to check e-mail is so great. If there was an e-mail, which is delivered letters to a half-hour delay, the hands so often would not itch.

burden of responsibility

And finally, the fourth problem - it is our sense of ownership and responsibility. If we know that in our box, a new letter, we just can not say it is not, or at least read it. Because somebody wrote it? And that someone on the other end waiting for our answer.

This is especially noticeable in the group letters followed by an avalanche of responses consistently. And here we must take ourselves in hand and remind myself that a) not all emails require an immediate response; b) some letters do not require our response, as in the copy, there are other people who will answer all questions, and you put in a copy just to be aware of. And finally, ask yourself what would happen if you did not have this information? You have started to look for it yourself? If the answer is "no", then someone else has your attention and, therefore, time and control it.

It can be applied not only to the e-mail verification. Here you can add social networking, group chats in instant messengers and Twitter.