Oh, you have 342342134 emails you haven’t read, too? You’re not the only one. The average person receives around 100 emails per day. That can go from manageable to out of control really quick. This may sound a bit extreme, but I truly believe that people who are able to stay on top of email tend to be better at their jobs and more organized overall. If someone is struggling to keep up with their messages, they’re usually missing deadlines, not up to speed on what’s going on, and always behind (which leads to stress & anxiety). I’ve worked with people like this, and believe me, it’s incredibly frustrating. Don’t be one of those people. I’ve found that after a few years of working in the real world, I’ve learned some tips & tricks that have helped me better manage my inbox.
Create labels for your mail
This one is no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people DON’T do this. Create labels that will help you navigate and categorize emails, so that they’ll be easier to find later down the line. You can also color code your mail so that certain messages stand out (for example, if you work with a client, you can highlight all messages that come from that person in red so that you can prioritize those messages). What I find works for me is labeling the message, and then moving it to a designated folder. I leave only outstanding to-do’s or important items in my Inbox.
Set up rules
If color coding isn’t your thing, you can also set-up filters so that specific messages automatically get filed in folders, never appearing in your inbox. You can filter by sender, email subject, and more. I use this for newsletters, email threads I’m on but don’t need to read, etc. You’d be surprised at how much of the stuff you’re getting in your inbox is junk you don’t have to read. Clear the clutter!
Unsubscribe, unsubscribe, unsubscribe!
Those emails from Groupon…when’s the last time you bought a Groupon?! Get off that list. Seriously, you’re not missing out on anything. It can be a pain to go through and actually unsubscribe from all the garbage you’re getting, but it takes 30 seconds and it can save you a lot of headache down the line. If you’re not up for doing it, there are free services out there that will take care of it for you – Unroll.Me is one of them.
Schedule time to catch up on email throughout the day
Take 5-10 mins every couple of hours to catch up on your email. Not checking for 3-4 hours can lead to people pinging/texting/calling you for answers. Stay on top of it and avoid stress later on. If you have to block off time on your calendar to do it, make it happen.
