I love email. Why? Because I’m a programmer and I don’t want to be interrupted. I like to keep the day-to-day things simple because my work is anything but simple.
I use gmail and everyone I know has my gmail address. It has excellent spam filters and it’s easy to manage. Best of all, it never bothers me. When I’m ready for a break, I check and manage my email. It takes 5 minutes, just enough time to eat an apple.
Family, close friends, and some business associates have my cell phone #. They know not to text me because if I’m working, I will not respond. If I’m not working, the only response they’ll get is “ok”. If the phone rings, I know it must be important to talk. Usually not for long, then back to work.
I do not IM. I can’t imagine worse ways to ruin productivity. I IM’d for 3 days. I got nothing done, so I emailed everyone to never IM me again. Email me and I’ll respond when I’m available.
I surf my favorite sites during breaks. When the break is over, on go the headphones and up comes my text editor. See you in an hour or two. Not before then.