Email is a great tool to get things done quickly, but it can become overwhelming and suck hours out of your day. Emails can easily pile up and take over your inbox, making you feel like email controls whether or not you get things done. With a new year beginning, it’s the perfect time to start fresh and clear out your inbox. Have an inbox that you can control, not one that controls you! Here are some tips and tricks to help you take control of your inbox in 2019.
Create Labels
Labels can help you organize your email and keep everything in order. To do this in Microsoft Outlook, select a message and press the little luggage tag that appears above your inbox. From there, you can name your new label and create as many as you need. You can also divide your emails into folders, this way they are easier to access. Nobody can see the labels or folders besides you and they help to keep your inbox highly organized.
Turn off Email Notifications
Constantly checking your email is unhealthy and time-consuming. It also affects your productivity levels at work. Most emails do not require an immediate response, so checking your emails less could lead to better productivity. Turning off notifications can be done in your settings or preferences tab.
Unsubscribe
Signing up for emails from multiple companies can lead to a lot of time deleting them. Unsubscribe from emails that you barely read or interact with. This will end up saving you a lot of time sorting through your inbox messages and will make everything easier to find. If you like receiving coupons through your email from these companies, consider signing up for those newsletters with another email address that’s not tied to your professional or personal contacts.
Sort Emails Immediately
When you check your emails, make sure to go through each one and sort them correctly. Delete spam and reply to emails that need a reply. Letting emails sit in your inbox unopened will create more junk in your email that can be overwhelming and more difficult to navigate through.
We hope these tips will help you work more efficiently in the new year! There’s no perfect way to handle email overflow, but implementing some ground rules for yourself may be a huge help.
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