Harj Taggar, on removing his e-mail app from his iPhone (six month review):
The consequences have been interesting. …
The least obvious consequence has been the lengthening of my concentration span, even when I’m at my desk with easy access to my email. I’ve long realized that email is the biggest killer of my productivity e.g. if I’m trying to code I never stop to go and play video games but I did stop and check my email because I could justify it as work (“work” that is both significantly easier and provides a quicker dopamine hit than trying to solve a hard problem). But once I rid myself of the habit of checking email constantly on my phone, suddenly I had less of a habitual urge to check my email in general. It feels wonderful. …
Once I realized the power of this I went on to delete more than just email. … It’s been the best decision I’ve made this year and would highly recommend it.
