Email can be considered a boon, but it can turn into a real time-wasting aspect of your life in no time. You have emails, but you dread getting to them. If this is you, then you need to read this post to understand how you can manage your mailbox with ease. Managing emails is not a difficult task once you are determined although sometimes it can get overwhelming. You can find your way to convenient and easy email management with the following tips. And no you don’t need to spend any money nor waste a ton of time in the process of managing your mailboxes and emails!
Schedule time for managing emails
This is the first rule of thumb. You need to schedule a specific time when you will be checking your email. There are two ways in which you can approach this. You can set aside time so that you have half an hour to check your emails and manage them once per day. Otherwise, you can schedule three 10 minute slots per day. For example, you can schedule one email management session in the morning at 10 a.m., another at 1 p.m. and another at 4 p.m. You can schedule as per your convenience. Remember to turn off your email notifications so that you are not constantly distracted by your emails.
Delete email regularly to manage emails
Your inbox can be filled pretty quickly, and this can be of concern at a later date when you only have two options. You either have to delete emails, or you have to buy extra storage. Most of the professional email providers come with limited storage space. And this is a good thing because it means you can’t store your emails forever. It is a good idea to regularly delete the emails that you know for sure you no longer need. In case of confusion, you can archive your emails so that they are not deleted forever. Otherwise, in your free time, you can delete emails to manage mailbox to decrease your email clutter.
Direct and concise response for managing emails
For the emails that require your response, respond. But don’t spend a lot of time thinking of the structure and then sitting down to write the email. You want the response to be direct and concise. You value your time, and you value the time of the reader which is why you should keep the email reply short and to the point. This helps you save a lot of time as well. You won’t be spending hours managing emails that only take a few minutes. If you do need time to respond, then you can start the message and then reply at a later time. This will ensure that you remember what you were supposed to reply to.
Templates for similar responses to manage mailbox
Templates are great if you get emails that need similar responses. They can save a lot of your time. You can create templates and then send replies whenever necessary. The benefit of templates is that they save time for you to write out each email and then send it. If you get emails that are a similar and are supposed to be responded in a similar pattern, then you can utilize the templates for replying. This can be quite a quick method to respond to emails and helps you to manage your emails quickly.
Different accounts for emails
This tip is handy for managing emails. You can create email accounts for different purposes. For example, you can create one for your work and then another one for family and friends. A third email account can be created for all your promotions and your subscriptions. This will help you stay focused when you need to. As emails will be automatically sent to the particular email accounts, it will make your job much easier and managing your mailbox will be easy too with this tip. It will ensure that you are not getting distracted at odd times by things that don’t matter at any given time.
Manage mailbox with folders
If you get lots and lots of emails daily, then managing them becomes a necessity. Folders are one of the best ways to manage your mailbox without losing your mind. You can create multiple folders depending on your work. For example, you can create one folder for clients, another for your colleagues, and so on. Folders help to categorize and organize your mailbox easily. It is best if you try to avoid sub-folders because things can get a little more complicated and the maintenance will be more difficult as well. Another point to remember is not to get too carried away with categorizing. Have broad categories as folders.
Goal setting for managing emails
You need to be disciplined when it comes to managing emails. You can set goals that you can then try to reach on a daily or weekly basis. You need to find what works for you so that you are not spending your entire day managing your mailbox only! For example, you can try to read and take the appropriate action for the emails that you get every day. You can try for a zero unread mailbox which means you have gone through every single email that you received. You can spend some time on your free time to ensure that you have read everything that you received. Otherwise, you can try to read as many emails as possible per day.
Don’t be afraid to unsubscribe
Unsubscribe is something that no one wants to get into although it is straightforward. Why? Because you think that you might miss out on something important in the future. However, if you feel that whatever emails you receive from the sender are no longer relevant, why keep getting such emails? It is time you put a stop and end this for good. You need to unsubscribe from anything that no longer interests you. If you keep wasting your time, then your mailbox will be a cluttered one all the time. If either the content does not interest you or you don’t even feel compelled to read the email then unsubscribe.
Use apps and other management tools
If self-discipline is something that you struggle with, then you can use email management tools and apps. There are several of them available that make email management much easier and effortless for you. There are free email management tools as well as paid tools that are available for you to use. Since email management tools are getting more sophisticated and straightforward, you can check them out at your convenience to see which one suits your needs the best. You can use the tools and your email managing skills to manage mailbox and emails.
When it comes to managing emails, don’t try to be so strict that you end up wasting more time than necessary. Obsession regarding anything is not fruitful. You don’t want your email management to take up all your time in your day. But a little bit every day goes a long way even in the case of managing all your emails and your mailbox. The whole point of being able to manage your inbox and its various aspects is to ensure that you stay organized while saving time. When you use the tips above, you can save time and be on top of your game always. A zero inbox mailbox is no longer a distant dream!
