When I started college, "Alcohol Awareness" meant trying to figure out where you could buy beer underage. By the time I was a senior, however, colleges began to combat underage and binge drinking through "awareness training." I remember the mnemonic they used was H.A.L.T. It meant don't drink when you're Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired.

Fast forward to now.

I've decided that this same approach needs to apply to something almost as addictive as alcohol and potentially even more frequently abused (at least during office hours): Email.

Never send email when you're hungry, angry, lonely or tired. Especially when you're angry and/or tired. (For me, these two mental states become highly correlated.) I find it amazing how email brings out the passive-aggressive in people. People write things in person that they would never say in person. Or by phone, for that matter.

So H.A.L.T. on the email already.

Taking this to the next level is what some clever Intel engineers are advocating with "Zero-Email Fridays." Now there's an idea.