Unsubbing: A proactive email decluttering idea

Your bank sends them. Your doctor. Your clients. Random people you meet sign you up for their regular emails – and one stressed-out day you open your inbox and want to scream, “Argh! Where did all of this come from?!”

The goal: Unsubscribe from as many automatic emails as possible

Why we don’t do it

You just want to get through your email, right? I know I do! So when we receive unwanted email, reactively clicking “delete” does the trick — in the short run.

By contrast, unsubscribing takes an extra couple of steps. You usually have to scroll to the bottom of the email and click “unsubscribe”. Sometimes you have to go to a website and enter your email address or click a button. Some sites even ask you to tell them why you’re “leaving”.

So, one of the reasons why we don’t unsubscribe is that it takes extra time and thought. We’re busy.

The other reason we don’t: Relationships

I have a friend who receives all of her friends newsletters, probably 20 in total each month, and she “can’t” unsubscribe because she doesn’t want to hurt their feelings.

Can you relate? Maybe you had good intentions when you signed up, but now you never read them. Or you aren’t interested in the topic. Or you’re just not close anymore. Whatever the reason, every time you get one of those emails, you get a little dose of guilt along with it.

Take courage. If you take a moment to explain why you’re unsubscribing, chances are good that you won’t permanently damage the relationship. Something like, “Unsubscribing helps me create more simplicity in my life. I still value our connection.” As long as it’s honest, this keeps the door open.

Why it’s useful

Unsubbing is useful because it can drastically reduce the volume and sheer numbers of email you receive weekly. Imagine only receiving emails you want!

It also saves you a lot of time, not just from clearing your inbox, but also prevent you getting distracted by reading things that don’t interest you. You can be more focused when the items in your inbox are relevant to your work.

How to do it

Are you sold on the idea yet? If you are, the key is mindfulness.

Host an email mindfulness party. For the next week, every time you check your inbox, ask yourself these questions when you open an email:

• Do I want this?
• If no, where did it come from?
• Is there a way to prevent this in the future?
• Take that next step to prevent future emails — and unsubscribe.

Practice this for just a week and chances are good that your email load will become lighter. You’ll be able to focus on doing what you love and less time on what you don’t.

Thoughts on unsubscribing? Yeah, buts? Me toos?