5 Ways To Manage An Unruly Inbox
It’s safe to say that feeling stressed when you see your inbox overflowing is not uncommon. Here’s what to do.
Do you have a complicated relationship with your work email? While email is one of the primary ways to communicate in the workplace, a report from Gated shows that 67% of people feel overwhelmed by their inbox. Here are a few other stats from the report you may find interesting:
74% of people feel guilty about emails they haven’t responded to
82% of people miss important emails because of their unruly inbox
On average, people receive 87 work emails a day
It’s safe to say that feeling stressed when you see your inbox overflowing is not uncommon. Before you panic envisioning actual envelopes overflowing out of your computer screen, we’re here to help. Let’s look at 5 ways to manage that unruly inbox before it gets worse.
Schedule a Time to Check Your Inbox
One of the best things you can do for your inbox is set aside time to give it some TLC. According to the Gated report, 71% of people surveyed said that dealing with their inbox takes time away from other important tasks. So, setting aside specific times throughout the day to check emails and respond.
Turn Off Notifications
If you’ve decided to set aside time to check emails, stick to it. Turn off notifications so they don’t distract you while you’re completing other tasks. Since you’re going to have multiple time slots to check emails with your new schedule, you won’t be going very long without checking it, anyway.
Create Response Templates
Not every email you get during the workday is going to warrant a personalized response. Creating a response for every email you get takes up a lot of your precious time. Keep track of the responses you send. Find the ones you use the most often, and make a template. That way, all you need to do is tailor it to who you’re sending it to, and you’re done!
Filters and Folders are Your New Besties
Utilizing a folder function in your inbox is going to be a lifesaver if you’re feeling overwhelmed. This is a great way to make sure you aren’t being bogged down by opening unnecessary emails during the workday. You can manually do this, or you can set up filters to sort through emails and only put the most important in your main inbox. Let’s look at an example.
How many times have you opened an email and realized you needed approval or action from someone else before you could do anything? Save yourself time by creating a “waiting folder” that is for this type of email. You won’t be seeing it as a priority until it’s ready.
Unsubscribe, Unsubscribe, Unsubscribe
Lastly, don’t be afraid of that unsubscribe button. Your professional inbox shouldn’t be bogged down with promotional emails that waste time. If you find yourself opening promotional emails and deleting them multiple times, find that unsubscribe button and get it out of your life. Your inbox will thank you.
