When I was a manager, I constantly struggled to keep up with my inbox. It was the primary source of mental stress for me.
If I was unable to get to inbox zero, I wouldn’t be able to sleep well because some of those threads would run in my head at night.
Because of inbox overload, I had to put in more hours at night or early morning to catch up on inbox or reply to those slack messages, or finish my own work.
Because of this struggle, I was never able to fully disconnect from work even when I took a day off.
Late in my career, I realized the importance of truly disconnecting from work. Your todo list will never be done. There is always something awaiting your reply, but prioritizing mental health is important.
Role modeling this is hard but if you are a manager, take time off yourself and make it a point to fully disconnect.
Also, encourage your team to do the same.
Coming back to work refreshed after a break actually makes you more productive.
