Creating Space by Crafting an Autoresponse

A few weeks ago, I sent an email to the amazing Lisa Butler of elembee. I was asking her to participate in my next Q&A (she agreed and it will be up soon!), and after shooting off the email, I got this INCREDIBLE autoresponse:

Although the autoresponse is often one of the most dry, impersonal methods of communication, Lisa's autoresponse didn't feel empty at all. In fact, it felt pretty warm and fun-loving. 

I was immediately struck by her healthy boundaries, her ability to take her time answering emails, and her wonderful, upbeat attitude--all of which was conveyed in this simple form email. I didn't feel pushed off by her at all, but instead, my first thought was: I need an autoresponse like this. Even the subject line, "An email for me? Hooray!" was positive and sweet. 

So, I've decided to craft something similar for my inbox, for those times that I'm extremely focused on a painting project or prepping for a big event (like the upcoming Love Yoga Fest, where I'll be selling my paintings at a vendor booth!), or even when I just need to take a little time off from my computer screen. 

As I've discussed before, there's just SO much pressure to respond to emails in a timely manner these days, that many of us spend a large chunk of time feeling haunted by our inboxes and typing the words "So sorry for the delay..." at the beginning of each email. I know that I don't want this extra source of anxiety in my life, and I doubt you do, either, so I think that an autoresponse like Lisa's is a great way to temper the expectations of those who email you. 

So what do you think? Why not create an autoresponse that conveys your personality, shares what you're up to, and sets up some email boundaries? Can you come up with something similar in order to ease your email stress + burden? I know it's not possible in every job/industry, but if you work for yourself or have a little leeway, I recommend you give it a try and see how it feels...

Similarly, Lisa's autoresponse got me thinking--where else in my life could I define others' expectations in order to give myself a bit more space? There have to be other avenues/ways, but I haven't figured them out yet. If you have any ideas, please let me know!

As a recovering email addict, I need all the help I can get. 

Now off to respond to some emails... ;) 

PS. Look for a Q&A with Lisa next month! I'm super excited to feature her as she is one awesome lady, designer, and entrepreneur. If you want to go ahead and learn more about her, you can do so here.