The Cost of Continuously Checking Email

The article makes a very good point.

For some jobs, it is important to be online all the time during work, but for what I would call knowledge jobs it is very important to have several time periods during the day with email and phone shut off, and a quiet environment. When I am working on an algorithm or non-trivial code, it takes me several minutes to get everything I need loaded up in my short term memory. I usually work at home and my wife is sensitive to when I have my head in my work. Off topic, but I don't find very short interruptions from pets to be as disruptive - probably because I am not really giving them my attention.