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What having a super-organized inbox reveals about your personality
What having a super-organized inbox reveals about your personality
Shana LebowitzMay 7, 2015, 22:28 IST
When I interviewed psychologist Larry Rosen, Ph.D., for an article on what your email inbox might reveal about your personality, he explained that your inbox-maintenance style is largely a reflection of your brain chemistry.For some people, the sight of 20 unread messages in their inbox is annoying - but not such a big deal. For others, it actually sets off a negative physiological reaction."A huge, exploding inbox releases stress-based neurotransmitters, like cortisol, which make them anxious," Rosen says. Keeping a tidy inbox helps decrease that anxiety, if only temporarily.Rosen told me he identifies with that stressful experience - which is why he's become a "filer/deleter," or someone who takes action on every message immediately.Filers/deleters may also worry more than others about keeping up with important news and events.When Rosen doesn't check his email for a few hours, he says, "I feel like there's something I might be missing."By reviewing every email that comes their way, filers/deleters make themselves feel more comfortable. It's also a way to convince others that they're organized and have their priorities straight."Your inbox reflects the way you see the world and how you want the world to see you," Rosen says.
