Email management might seem like a heavy task, but all it needs is the right tactics and the right tools. Thus email management is commonly done in two main ways- using automation and using DIY strategies. Automation uses e mail management softwares that help us achieve the dream of inbox zero in just a few clicks. DIY tactics, on the other hand, require effort and patience in the long term. Nonetheless, both these ways form the basis of e mail management 101 as we dive in to know more about the same.
101 of e mail management
With automation softwares and DIY e mail management tips, it becomes very easy to reach inbox zero everyday. With the right tools and the right techniques, email management ceases to be a heavy task.
1. Use the right email management softwares
All e mail management strategies begin with using the right tools for this huge task. Since e mail management is a regular task, you need to focus on achieving email inbox zero everyday. The easiest way to achieve this is using automation with email management softwares. Apps like Mailman have features that are pinpointed towards curing all your email management problems. With features like Do Not Disturb, Delivery Slots, Blocked list, VIP list, etc., Mailman is our favorite e mail management tool to reach inbox zero.
2. Schedule a time
The first tip is to master this time management technique. When email notifications keep popping up, we lose our interest in our current work. With so many distractions at our feet, it is no wonder that research states that we take 23 minutes to get back to work at the same pace as when we started. To stop these constant email alerts and interruptions, you have to allocate a time slot for proper e mail management.
You can plan the time slots as many times as you want throughout the day, but make sure that you leave enough time for your main tasks. The email management software Mailman, can help you in this with its Delivery Slot feature, thus unburdening you from keeping track of time.
3. Hit that “delete” button
Stay proactive and delete or at least archive all the emails that do not need to crowd your email inbox. Delete as much as you can. This is one of the practical tips for e mail management. If you are a Gmail user, note that you can keep all the deleted messages inside the ‘Trash’ folder for thirty days. So, if you ever delete an email by mistake you retrieve them from the Trash folder till 30 days. You can even schedule a time to unclutter your inbox messages once a week or even once in three days.
4. Unsubscribe or “mass unsubscribe”
More than our important or actual emails, it is the promotional emails that crowd our inboxes a lot. Set a spam filter to make sure that all these emails end up in a folder away from your main inbox. Delete that spam folder from time to time to free up some space. Also, unsubscribe from all these unwanted newsletters and subscriptions. This will help you to manage emails effectively as you master e mail management.
5. Create folders for better e mail management
Sort your emails into various folders and filter the unwanted emails. You can label these folders according to your needs. This helps to manage multiple emails pouring from multiple accounts. You can also automatically sort all your incoming emails using filters. Set your filters such that they point towards appropriate folders. Thus you can directly access an email by going to the exact folder for easy e mail management.
6. Pause your inbox
If you feel that constant emails make you distracted and reduce your productivity, you know it’s time to take a break. Pause your email notifications for a while. You can change your setting in your phone / PC into silence mode and stop receiving email notifications for a fixed time. This can be easily done by the Do Not Disturb feature in Mailman for better Pause your inbox. This is a good email management tip that will refresh your mind and give you a break.
7. Read and respond
Respond to short emails immediately as soon as they pop up. It stops your inboxes from getting piled up with messages. We will also have increased focus and productivity while we read a limited number of emails. This takes care of the quick emails, leaving enough time for the longer emails that you can answer at your leisure. Thus you have a lighter, more manageable inbox to do further e mail management.
8. Flag or Star or Save
For emails that require ‘more’ attention, flag or star them. There’ll be emails that need you to give a well-thought-out and crafted response. If you don’t have the time to answer them now, save them in a place where you can quickly re-access them. In Gmail, you can start your emails, and they will automatically get stored in the ‘starred’ section of the mail. This is a good e mail management technique that you can employ easily.
9. Disable social media email notifications
10. Create default replies
If you discover yourself rewriting messages over and over again, you tend to lose loads of time. What can help your e mail management is creating templates for similar responses. This can help you save loads of your time that otherwise writing a mail from scratch would need. This is another best inbox management tip that will help you to reduce your writing burdens as you get better at e mail management.
Reach inbox zero with 101 of e mail management
Inbox zero is not all about having an empty inbox but about living outside the inbox. With the 101 of e mail management, we understand that email management is no rocket science but is only instilling some discipline. This helps us develop better email habits as we head towards a distraction free email inbox.
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