8 Essential Tips for Managing Emails
According to a recent report, email is making many Americans “miserable.” Many people have a hard time managing emails, and as a result, their emails end up stressing them out.
Does this sound like you? If so, you should try to put some better email management practices into place. By learning how to manage email better, you can make it less stressful in the long run.
We’ve put together a list of tips for managing emails that should make your inbox a little less chaotic. Take a look at these eight tips below and begin using these email management tools right away.
1. Set Aside Specific Times Each Day to Check Emails
Are you someone who is constantly checking your email inbox and trying to keep up with emails in real-time? If you are, please stop doing this!
You might feel like you have to sit and read through emails all the time. But in reality, you would be much better off setting aside a little bit of time each day to check emails.
Some people like to wake up in the morning and go through their email inboxes. Other people like to wait until the end of the day to do it.
But no matter which approach you take, you should try your best to check your emails during designated times. It’ll make it possible for you to disconnect from your inbox and not feel so stressed out about it 24/7.
2. Delete Emails You Don’t Need Immediately
When you’re going through new emails in your inbox, there will no doubt be a bunch of them that you can delete right away. But some people choose not to do this and end up under an avalanche of unnecessary emails.
If you see emails piling up in your inbox, you should delete anything that you know you don’t need right away. It’ll make managing emails easier once you start digging into the ones that you do need.
This step-by-step guide will take things a step further and show you how to delete a large number of emails at once.
3. Organize Emails Into Different Folders
In addition to deleting emails that you know you don’t need as they’re coming in, categorizing emails that you do need is another great idea. You can organize these emails by sticking them into different folders within your preferred email system.
In some cases, it might make sense to categorize them by when you’ll need to respond to them. In other instances, you might want to go ahead and categorize them by subject or by who sent them.
You’re free to create your own system for managing emails in this way. But you’ll find it easier to stay on top of emails when you have them broken down into the right categories.
4. Create Templates to Respond to Emails
Have you found that you’re responding to a lot of the emails you get with the same standard responses? If you are, you might want to put together some simple templates so that you don’t have to type out these responses all the time.
It would be so much easier to copy and paste something like, “Sounds great, I will check this out and let you know if it is approved,” than it would be to type it out over and over again. Templates can save you so much time and cut down on the brainpower that you have to use while responding to emails.
5. Avoid Trying to Provide a Response for All Emails
Do you get overwhelmed by your email because you feel like you have to respond to everything that you get? If so, know this: Not every email warrants a response!
Yes, you should respond to all of the emails that you get from your boss. You should also respond to all of the emails that you get from your mom or dad.
But if you’re trying to get responses out to every email that lands in your inbox, you’re fighting a losing battle. Resist the urge to respond to everything and focus solely on the important emails that you receive.
6. Unsubscribe From Emails You Don’t Want Anymore
Over time, you’ve likely signed up for your fair share of subscription emails. They may have served a purpose at one time. But if they’re not useful anymore, you should click the “Unsubscribe” button on them.
This is a little bit like the digital version of purging your house. You’ll find that your inbox won’t be so cluttered when you don’t have a million and one subscription emails coming in at all times of the day and night.
7. Invest in the Best Email Management Software
If you’re really struggling with managing emails, you might be able to benefit from purchasing the best email management software. This software can put you in a position to take command of your emails in the blink of an eye.
The mere fact that you’ll feel like you’re in control of managing emails will work wonders for your mental health. You’ll eliminate a lot of the stress associated with sending and receiving emails when you have the right software set up.
8. Stop Letting Emails Run Your Life
At the end of the day, email is a tool that should work for you, not against you. If it’s causing you a ridiculous amount of stress, you should take a step back and reconsider your relationship with it.
You might even want to go as far as to speak with someone from your family or your company about the issues you’re having with email. You might be able to come up with a solution for your email woes so that your inbox doesn’t keep taking a toll on you.
Managing Emails Will Be Easy When You Use These Tips
The average person receives more than 100 work-related emails every day. If your inbox sees anywhere close to that number of emails, it’s a sign that you’ll need to have a reliable management system in place.
Utilize the tips found here to begin managing emails better than you do now. You’ll be so surprised to see what a big difference it can make in your life.
Find more tips on taking control of technology and using it for good by browsing through our other blog articles.