6 Ways To Cut Through The Inbox Clutter
Oh the emails. Never ending emails. I’m sure many of you are like me and have too many emails pouring into your inbox, especially if you have multiple email accounts. I have 8 email accounts that I monitor daily. A couple of those aren’t really important, but I keep them around anyways.
At times I have been so bad at clearing my inbox that I have had over 10,000 unopened emails! I don’t recommend having over 10,000 unopened emails. For me, most of those unopened emails were spam, and the others were things I just didn’t care about or were unimportant.
When I got my email down to zero, I was so happy that I actually posted about it on my Instagram. I know that sounds silly, but it was an accomplishment. So how can you get to zero?
Here are 6 ways to cut through inbox clutter!
1. Unsubscribe
This is the biggest and simplest way to reduce the amount of emails in your inbox. If you don’t read it or care about it, scroll all the way down to the bottom of that email and click the little unsubscribe button. Sometimes those buttons are hard to find, but they are required by law. So unsubscribe from those newsletters and endless marketing emails that you don’t need.
2. Routine Clean Ups
No one is perfect, so even if you try to delete the spam and complete email tasks as you go, it’s always good to go back and do a mass clean up. Check for those emails that are ready to hit the digital trash.
3. Check Regularly (But Not Constantly)
Don’t check your email after every notification. This is difficult and I struggle with it myself, but it will kill your general productivity and does nothing for your email productivity either. Block of times throughout the day to review and work on your email. Use this time to read, organize, and perform tasks in your emails. For more ideas on email productivity check out this post: 5 Elements Of An Effective And Productive Email
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4. Use Folders
Most email programs have folder tools to help you stay organized. You can use these folders to help you prioritize and cut through all of that clutter. Set up folders that indicate what the purpose of the email is and what action you need to take.
Such folders can include: respond (for emails needing a reply), forward (for those emails really meant for someone else), meeting (for events or meetings), review (for those emails you need/want to read but don’t require other actions), and task (for those emails that prompt specific actions or other work outside of the email server).
These folders I described are from the Stack Method, which is a specific method for dealing with email clutter.
5. Email Management Software
There are many programs you can utilize to reduce your email load or at least make it more manageable. Some of these will depend on whether you're working as an individual or setting up a tool for a business. Project management and email management software can be a great solution for those dealing with a truly critical mass of emails or the need to track emails on a large scale.
6. Alternate Communication
If it doesn’t need to be an email, don’t make it an email. If it's a quick message or something more urgent, it should probably be a text or a phone call. Using programs like Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, Slack, etc. will allow you to cut down on the email chatter.
Lastly…
Don’t let your email inbox pile up! Trust me, going in and implementing these strategies at 10,000+ emails is not fun.
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Meet The Writer!
Hi! I’m Madeline Jefferson. I am a freelance writer, editor, and designer who has a wide breadth of experience and knowledge on many subjects including: fiction writing, religion, law, politics, history, literature, chronic illness, and mental health. I have a B.A. in Religion and Middle Eastern Studies from Washington and Lee University. As a freelancer I offer services such as: blog writing, copywriting, ghostwriting, manuscript editing, and print and digital design. You can find me on: LinkedIn; Twitter, Instagram; and on my website: https://www.madelinejefferson.com/.
