A method to prioritize email such that a number of interruptions experienced by a user is reduced may include obtaining a threshold cognitive load of a user and a threshold importance; in response to receiving an email in an inbox of the user, determining an importance of the received email; comparing the importance thereof with the threshold importance; and based on the importance thereof not satisfying the threshold importance, determining a priority thereof with respect to emails in the inbox. The method includes determining a cognitive cost of the received email and that the user is handling a first group of emails, and comparing the priority of the received email with a priority of emails of the first group of emails; obtaining a current cognitive load of the user; and identifying a second group of emails; and presenting the second group of emails to the user.