My method is to turn off my mail clients 'auto pull'/notification functionality and manually pull my mail. I also don't use email on my phone. Basically the i

My method is to turn off my mail clients 'auto pull'/notification functionality and manually pull my mail. I also don't use email on my phone. Basically the idea is I'm reserving a chunk of time (I usually do first thing in the morning and at the end of the work day) to read and respond thoughtfully. The biggest thing really is just turning off those notifications that by design are to distract you. This won't work for everyone - specifically operations people, or folks who work in a environment where people use email effectively as chat or it's expected you reply quickly. Intelligent use of filters (only notify when the boss mails you) might be a solution. I read this same story come up with chat constantly. Adapt/modify your tools to make them work for you.