How did you break your email addiction?

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 13:04:20 -0500

The first step is to admit the problem… I HAVE AN EMAIL ADDICTION.

After the integration of a computer dependent military, I know others may be suffering this same addiction (I had my first computer back in 2000 and learned how to use It in 2003).

I check my email 1st thing in the morning and no less than every 3 hours afterwards (even on weekends), I have several email accounts so I would check my military, civilian, small business and personal email account (in that order).

For every email I send, I read twice before I send and once after I send it, then anxiously refreshing the page every hour to see if I got a response…

It is an incapacitating addiction since I know that it takes much of my time and I could be doing other productive stuff…

Has anyone suffered from a similar work related compulsive disorder (OCD)?

Let me know about it and best of all, let me know how you broke the addiction.

Response by CW3(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 15 at 2013 1:12 PM

CW3(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 13:12:59 -0500

We as a society have a digital addiction. You are not the only one. Email and social media drive what we do in the world. As soon as I leave work, I try and leave the digital world or minimize it, even on the weekends. I am mentally burnt out from staring a computer screen for 8 hours a day. I just can see myself doing even more at home. I try to not let it consume me. I don’t really need to stay up to date like that. If it was important someone would call me. Other than that I let it be.