4 Tips To Help Keep Email Organized

What is the state of your inbox? Is it a big black abyss with a never-ending lineup of spam mixed in with important messages? With the holidays upon us, festive gatherings and online shopping will only add to the long list of emails that could be piling up. Not having good systems for deleting and archiving email can wreak havoc on your inbox, not to mention the unnecessary time that can be wasted dealing with it. So how do you keep your inbox organized? A previous post about efficient email gives important tips for managing and keeping your inbox functional. Here are a few more ideas to consider:

Create Special Accounts: If you give your email address to sales associates for future loyalty programs or rewards, consider creating a separate email that you give out. It will avoid future coupons, offers and spam coming into your main email account.

Silence Notifications: How often do you check your email? The average office worker checks email 36 times an hour. If you haven’t heard it before, do all you can to avoid the urge to check email constantly. Turn off notifications and check email on your terms.

Make Typing Easy: If you send out emails containing the same content, a text expanding program could become your new best friend. Simply type a few keys and a sentence or entire paragraph will appear.

Inform Recipients of your Absence: Don’t be a slave to your inbox. If you constantly reply to email, senders will learn to expect that. Set appropriate limits in dealing with work related email after you leave the office. Café Quill addressed the dangers of burnout from checking email after hours. When you’re away for a few days, a few hours, or even when you need to focus elsewhere, send an auto reply about when you’ll be available to respond.

Email is a never-ending stream, you will never arrive at an empty inbox. Learning to manage that stream by keeping up with the latest systems and solutions, along with a little discipline in how you respond, is your best bet!

About the author

Monica Friel is president and founder of Chaos to Order. Monica manages and trains a staff of professional organizers who specialize in everything from household clutter to corporate chaos. She also represents brands and speaks publicly as an expert in the field of organizing. Learn more about Monica and Chaos to Order and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Google+.

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