How To Manage Your Email InBox

I know what it feels like to be overwhelmed by email. I used to have my inbox overflowing, with read and unread messages, those needing action or filed. Many hung around because I just procrastinated.

I use Gmail for my business-and I get a steady stream of emails every day. Now- I can say I’m successful at keeping up with it all. I borrowed from a system developed by David Allen called GTD (Getting Things Done). GTD focuses on being present and mindful as well as putting you on a path that your current action is the correct one. His advice on email management has helped me to change my approach.

I am now way more efficient and so I wanted to share these tips with you today! Here’s how to manage your email inbox:

Check Your Email at Certain Times

This is a common tip shared by many productivity experts, but it’s worth noting again. Checking email first thing in the morning can suck you into a time-consuming black hole.

Instead, tackle your most important to do of the day first—or even better, all of your most important tasks—before checking your email. Now, there’s the debate between batch processing emails and real-time checking. If you can- go the batching route. Batching saves time and mental energy by letting you handle your email in certain blocks during your day.

Also, if you’re constantly checking email or receive notifications for every new message, it will distract you and hinder your focus. If you are in customer service, then plan set times to check your email about once an hour, but you can adjust this based on your needs.

Handle Email Right Away
When you do check your email, process each message immediately by deciding what needs to be done. Indecision and thinking about how you respond can impact how many emails you have in your InBox.

So to help with this, use the Clarity and brevity rule here. Get straight to the point in your emails. Before you start writing, think about the specific purpose of the message. Being brief and to the point will help save a lot of time!

Do you need to follow up or wait for a response? IN Outlook, you can create a Waiting for answer rule . For my emails that require a follow up, I click the Star (feature in Gmail). Then- I check my stars once at the end of every day. There is also the Label feature in Gmail, so you can create a Waiting For label.

Is it junk or a forwarded email? Delete immediately.

Is it a long email that you only need to read for information? File it in a “Read Later” folder (or label it and archive it), or print it out to read when you have downtime.

Does the email require action? Add the task to your to-do list and note the email if you need to reference it. Then archive the email. You will be able to do a search and find it when you’re ready to tackle that task.

Can you respond to it in under two minutes? If so, handle right away. Don’t put it off. Waiting will lead to a backlog of emails, making it harder to stay on top of them. I respond quickly with a brief message and move on.

Simplify with Less Folders
Do your best to narrow your folders down. There are some productivity coaches who suggest using only one Archive Folder. The more folders you have, the more cluttered your Inbox is going to be. Remember the handy search feature will help you retrieve emails.

By implementing these steps—checking email at set intervals, making decisions and processing each one right away, and then placing in an appropriate folder or labeling—you will be able to maintain an empty inbox.