According to researcher and author Michelle Gielan, checking email first thing in the morning can ruin your entire day. Psychologically, just one negative email, even if it’s offset by plenty of positive messages, can color your outlook and lead you to report having a bad day even hours later. If you’ve ever started your morning by reading a snarky comment, an angry message, or an announcement of bad news, you’ve probably experienced that emotional hangover that can linger.

Everyone, from students to parents to counselors, has to process more incoming communication than any generation before. You probably can’t get away from email negativity entirely. But why take the risk of letting just one message hijack your morning mood? We all might be better off starting our days on our own terms.