Unlock Email Mastery: Top Productivity Hacks for Efficient Inbox Management

UGH – 2,540 messages in you inbox! How did we get here? And those are just the ones you haven’t read – there are probably 1500 more that you opened but didn’t do anything with. Sound familiar? A lot of people don’t care too much about their email messages, and that’s kind of an easy position to take when, every time you buy something online, someone collects your email address and they start sending you stuff that carries minimal value to you. No harm, no foul, right? Well, maybe. If you get heart palpitations at the thought of opening the mail app, if you feel disorganized when you’re in your mail account, or if you’ve ever missed an important message because you didn’t see it or couldn’t find it, you may be suffering from Email Overload. This beast must – and can – be tamed. Fear no, your GrownUpTech guru is here to help. By learning a few simple tips, you can keep your email organized with just a few minutes’ effort each day.

But, let’s keep in mind that email is a two-way communication tool, and if you’ve been avoiding using it because you hate the task of writing, I can help with that as well.

MASTERING INBOX ZERO

“Inbox Zero” isn’t exactly what it sounds like. The goal isn’t really to have zero emails in your inbox, but rather to minimize the amount of time you spend managing your email. The originator of the phrase would have us dealing immediately with each message as it comes in, but that requires you to be in your email program all the time, which is decidedly impractical. There’s still a way to put the concept to use without constant attention to the program.

First, unsubscribe from newsletters and ads you don’t want. Yes, this takes time, and when you buy from them again you’ll have to unsubscribe again, but it will stop the onslaught for now. Next, use filters and/or labels. Gmail uses labels, Outlook uses Rules, but whatever they’re called, you can apply them to all of the messages coming from a particular sender. Using Gmail, you can filter on the labels and work the messages all at once, or you can send them to a folder. I manually sort my messages into folders using Outlook, rather than letting Gmail do it, because there will be some messages from some senders that I don’t want to deal with later, I just want to get rid of now. Others, I will go through at a later time. For example, all of my emails that have to do with Investing go to one folder, all of the ones that have to do with my photography business go to another. I have a folder for temporary storage, like the emails I get that let me know an order is processing, or that an account has been charged to pay a bill. I have a calendar reminder to go through that folder monthly and clear out everything that has cleared. I have a schedule to deal daily with the other folders, but there are some that I just leave in the inbox for a full day, so I can let the information sit, and if I’m still interested later, I’ll act on it. I also only deal with my email inbox three or four times a day, and during those times, I either move the message, act on it immediately, delete it, or defer it till tomorrow. Tomorrow, I will go through today’s leftovers and act on each one. Many of those will be deleted immediately, but each one will be addressed in some way. Using James Allen’s Getting Things Done methodology, we can apply the two-minute rule to each item: If an action can satisfy the demand from the email in two minutes or less, act immediately.

LEVERAGING AUTOMATION

It’s okay to not answer emails immediately. Most of my messages lately are one-way, that is, they’re newsletters primarily. But you can set up automated responses for two-way communication that let people know not to expect immediate answers. My guess is that if you’re suffering from inbox overload and you’re reading this post, you’re probably dealing mostly with overwhelm, rather than too many messages that need responses. In that case, it’s also perfectly fine to designate your ads to go directly to the trash using a rule. Each email provider and client will have singular ways to help you deal with the barrage of email assaults.

Additionally, you may be able to set a particular response for particular senders. For example, an freelance editor may have an autoresponder for a subject line that says “Query for solicitation” that sends out a response, “Thank you for your interest. However, we are not accepting new authors at this time. We wish you luck in your publishing efforts.” The responder then can be configured to place the messages into a folder or delete them. You can play around with them to see how you want your messages to behave.

EFFECTIVE EMAIL WRITING TIPS

Email is still a powerful communication channel, and it’s not difficult to use it to your advantage. Get in the habit of not trying to stuff too many topics into one email message. You’re not going to get responses to all of the subjects if you do. Two or three at most, and only if they can be addressed quickly, should be the limit. Each significant topic that will require thought and effort on the part of the recipient should be addressed in its own email message.

Your subject line should give the reader some idea of what to expect from the message. “It was nice meeting you today” is an acceptable follow up for a first meeting. “I have a few questions on some action items from the meeting” is a little long, but it gives the reader an expectation of the contents. You want to avoid sensational-sounding subject lines, and business correspondence subject lines shouldn’t be too demanding of a response. Courtesy in the subject line is as important as courtesy any other time.

You can create a custom signature block to use for different purposes. I have one that I use for general purpose, to which I’ve added a line about my book availability, and I have another one that I use for replies and forwards. At work, I found that I was answering the same questions via email a lot, so I created an instructional paragraph and included my signature information. I gave that signature file a name like “thisproblem signature.” When I send an email to a customer, even if it’s a response, for that problem, I use that signature block. I just have to type in the customer’s name and a short message: Mr. Watson, I think I may have a solution to your issue.” The signature block looks just like any other paragraph, but I don’t have to type the same thing over and over.

You can also create an email template that you can fill in with customized items. This would be better than a signature block for longer-form emails that require some customization but that you find yourself writing often. For one process at work, I have to request particular things of different entities, but for different pieces of equipment. I pull up the template, fill in the relevant information, and send it off to the recipient.

MANAGING NOTIFICATIONS

You don’t have to listen to a “ping” every time an email comes in, unless you like that sound. I’m just about deaf to it by now. But you can turn that sound off without having to silence your whole device. I can’t possibly tell you how your device or your provider handles it, but you can search for it in settings, or a web search for “silence notifications <email provider name> will point you in the right direction. Many providers and devices can even let you set “do not disturb” hours for distraction-free work.

EMAIL SCHEDULING AND TIME MANAGEMENT

Most providers will let you schedule emails to send at a certain time. I’ve never done that, because I’ve never found a reason to, but it’s good to know it can be done. As I ramp up my photography business, that may be something I’ll be glad to have.

SECURITY AND PRIVACY

If you lose control of your email account, you can also lose control of a whole lot of other things. Let’s not let that happen. To keep your email account under your control, use a strong password that uses upper and lower case letters, numbers, and characters, and it needs to be long. That may mean that you need to use a password manager, which I recommend anyway. It should also be a password you don’t use for any other account. Also, use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) if your provider offers it. It’s another layer of activity, but it’s another layer of aggravation for someone who wants to take control of your account.

Pay attention to phishing attempts! Don’t click on attachments or links if you don’t know the sender and aren’t expecting the attachment or link.

Keep your stuff updated – the operating system of your device, and the mail application.

If you’re using a web browser to access your email, make sure it’s using https and not just http.

Unless you can use encryption for your email, don’t send a credit card number via email, or any sensitive information.

YOUR TURN

Did I miss anything, or do you want more information? Drop a comment below and let’s talk about it. Email is certainly not dead, and if you use it effectively, you can keep it from getting out of hand.

My photography shops are https://www.oakwoodfineartphotography.com/ and https://oakwoodfineart.etsy.com , my merch shops are https://www.zazzle.com/store/south_fried_shop and https://society6.com/southernfriedyanqui. (All site names are clickable.)

Feel overwhelmed by tech? ‘Your Data, Your Devices, and You’ is your go-to guide for mastering the basics of online security and device management. Ideal for anyone who wants to use technology safely without becoming an expert. Find it on Amazon. (that sentence is clickable)