I have been traveling this week and since I have not yet been lucky enough to find myself on a plane with WiFi, I have been able to catch up on replying to emails in my “Action Required” folder while on the plane.

If you don’t know what an Action Required folder is, read up on Inbox Zero.

The lack of Internet access combined with the lack of anything else to do means that I am able to quickly blow through replies and queue up a nice batch of outgoing messages that get sent merrily on their way once I get online again with a satisfying whoosh! A nice effect of being stuck offline is that I am not distracted by incoming messages while I process, which enhances my focus on the messages I am writing.

As I was doing this, it occurred to me that I could easily simulate this environment any time. Why not replicate the conditions found on a plane and enjoy enhanced email productivity while online? Well, I gave it a try and it’s quite effective!

To simulate being on a plane, all I did was take my email program offline and then started processing my Action Required folder. In Apple Mail, I simply go to “Mailbox -> Take All Accounts Offline” (Outlook has a similar setting) and voila! I am now immune to any new incoming messages and my attention is 100% on my already-processed email requiring further attention. The nice thing about doing this while connected to the Internet is that I can still visit web sites and otherwise utilize online tools and information while still enjoying the benefits of freezing incoming mail.

When I’m ready to process, I take Apple Mail online again and process my inbox to zero. Then, before closing it, I go offline so that I am not bombarded by incoming mail if I want to process existing mail first.

Give it a try… you may also enjoy increased productivity by drawing a firmer line between the context of processing and replying or acting on email.