Technology is a blessing and a curse.

The average working professional receives about 200 email messages per day, each often arriving with a ding that conveys more urgency than most messages deserve. Add to that text messages, phone calls, meetings, and inquiries from colleagues sticking their heads through the open door. Workers are interrupted on average every three minutes. Research shows it takes about 20 minutes to refocus after each interruption.

Here are some strategies to regain a measure of control:

Batch email messages. Read and respond to batches of messages three or four times a day. Let people know when you usually check your email—for example, note in your signature block, “I’m checking email at 9 a.m., noon, and 4 p.m.”

Turn off your email notifications so you are not tempted to read newly arrived emails while accomplishing another task.  Wait until your set time to check emails.

Outlook quick steps allow you to create a one click way to respond to and archive or forward and archive emails.

Using categories in outlook or color coding your emails allow you to see at a glance emails relating to one topic or from one customer.

Set boundaries. Put your mobile phone on airplane mode or turn it off, and schedule out-of-office responses to email messages when you need a block of uninterrupted time. Establish phone-free times