Email management is something that is not as easy as it sounds. Our email inbox is being overflown with unwanted messages and therefore, it is hampering our productivity. However, erasing unwanted messages is not an effective way to manage your email inbox. It is time-consuming and you will never achieve a fruitful outcome. But, there are some other ways through which you can actually manage your inbox and the best part is that you will be able to achieve inbox zero. We have highlighted some of them here. So, don’t forget to have a look at the following points:
Reframe Your Strategies
If you are not achieving inbox zero, it is time to reframe your strategies. First of all, you will have to check how many unwanted emails you are receiving in a day. If the answer is not zero, you will have to make changes in your strategy. You can follow the tips mentioned below:
- If you think that the mail does not require any sort of action, you will have to delete or archive it.
- If you think that there is a message that requires an instant response and you can do it within a minute, you should do it immediately.
- There are emails that require a complicated reply. It means that you will have to think and therefore, it becomes a time-consuming reply. So, if you are working on a project, you should not reply to this mail at that moment. It will divert your mind and thus, your productivity will be hampered. Instead of this, you can snooze it, and set a time when you will be able to focus on this message. In such a situation, the message will not bother you and it will reappear when you can dedicate your attention to it.
Unsubscribe From Unwanted Email Services
Well, you are probably getting emails that are not important for you. This happens because you unknowingly subscribed to unnecessary websites. They keep sending you emails to promote their products. If you are working on a serious project and suddenly, a mail appears from such a website consisting of attractive offers, you will definitely get distracted. Therefore, it is very important to unsubscribe from emails and mailings you don’t need in the future. This is not even a difficult process. You will have to open the message and there you will find the unsubscribe button. You will have to click the option and you are done. Unsubscribing from many websites can be time-consuming, and therefore, you will have to set a specific time for doing this manually.
Start Using Canned Responses
We all have our own set of stock messages. These are some standard messages that we write again and again. Email services offer a canned response feature where you will find useful templates and you can even make your own templates. So, instead of writing the same message again and again, you should use this feature. After sending emails, you can archive them.
Send Audio Messages When Possible
You will be surprised to know that the number of emails you receive depends on the number of messages you send. If you want to reduce email clutter and spend less time on cleaning your inbox, it is a good idea to send a voice message instead of writing long letters.
These are some of the most useful email management tips that will help you to achieve inbox zero. Following them will save you time and make you more productive and less distracted at work.