If you occasionally find yourself busy at work with lots of tasks but feel you are getting nothing done try thinking of your day as a jar with ... pickles in it. Even though this article mixes its metaphors (it talks about pickles then goes on to talk about "big rocks") it offers a really interesting technique to visualise your work day, in this case as a jar, and prioritize your day, by filling it with the biggest tasks first. Email can wait.
For me, the most important tip in the article is to start your day planning what your priorities should be.By first ensuring that your large priorities are tackled, scheduled, and done for the day, you can then let the smaller but less important things in until you have somehow allowed time in your day for everything you needed to do, while still relaxing and having fun.