Unsubscribe from newsletters you do not read
Our first tip: unsubscribe to all the newsletters you never open. You are highly likely to receive promotional emails every day, especially in November and December. Let us say that you receive two newsletters per day on average: that would mean that you receive more than 700 newsletters per year! Think about all the time spent deleting them. Consequently, when you are not interested in a shop or a business anymore, take the time to unsubscribe. It will allow you to avoid many emails at the source.
It is also effortless to unsubscribe from a newsletter nowadays. In fact, at the bottom, you can find a small button to unsubscribe. You can always subscribe back to a newsletter if you change your mind.
Do not stop what you are doing when you receive an email
Managing emails takes a lot of time. Indeed, employees often spend many hours per week writing, reading, and answering emails. Here is another tip: when you receive an email, do not stop everything you are doing. On the contrary, finish your task and then check your inbox. The reason for that is simple: you likely receive several emails during a workday. You cannot stop everything whenever there is a new email because it will harm your productivity.
In order to avoid being tempted by new emails, think about removing notifications. Otherwise, keep some time in your day to manage your emails. This way you will be more productive and focussed.
Take action after you read an email
One of the reasons the number of emails is continually increasing is that you do not take action after reading them. They remain in your inbox, and the number is overwhelming with time. Consequently, after reading an email, take the good habit of taking action. It can be to send a reply, to delete it or to archive it. Most of your emails will then be processed at the week's end. You will then have a sense of accomplishment; only keep what needs to be done.
Also, to increase your productivity, gathering all your email addresses in the same inbox could be interesting. You will then receive all your emails at the same place.
Create files to organize your emails
Similarly, think about creating folders to organize the emails you must keep. There are many advantages to having a few folders in your inbox. First, it allows you to find emails more quickly. You can also organize your emails according to different categories; for example, you could have a folder for your finished or ongoing projects or folders about your clients. This way, once you have replied to the email, you only have to move it to the most relevant folder to remove it from your inbox. We should only find the emails that still need to be processed in your inbox.
Some inboxes also allow you to classify some emails or senders automatically. Check your inbox settings!
Ask yourself who should receive your emails
A way to reduce the number of emails is to send emails only to those concerned. When we work for a business, we often add all the people from a department or all bosses. Consequently, we receive a lot of emails that are more or less relevant.
A way to avoid this is using a chat app like Slack or Teams. Indeed, these platforms will allow you to share some general information without sending emails to everyone. Furthermore, if someone needs an answer quickly, they can always use the phone!
Clean your inbox and emails
A few weeks ago, we wrote an article about how to be more environmentally friendly when browsing the internet. When you send an email, it generates a small quantity of pollution. It is the same thing with the emails you keep. Since their data must be saved, it needs energy. And since millions of emails are sent and kept daily, what seems to be banal at first creates environmental issues. Unfortunately, pollution caused by the digital world increases from year to year.
Consequently, take the habit of deleting emails when possible. And, once per year, take a look at all your saved emails and ask yourself if you need them all. Delete everything you do not need, and remember your outbox too!
In conclusion, some people may find it impossible to manage an email box efficiently. Start small by unsubscribing to all useless newsletters and organizing your emails when processed. Then, remember to delete all emails you do not need anymore. With time, we are sure you will be capable of taking back control.
Did you make many resolutions for 2023 but seem unable to achieve them? Many tips can help you reach all your goals efficiently. Good luck!