What do YOU do with email?
There are some who say that email is dead. Obsolete.
Bah, I say! Email is alive and well. And growing, if the current state of my inbox is any indication.
It’s my intention to not let email run my life. I want to choose it instead of feeling controlled by it.
Here is how I prevent email overwhelm
What works well:
I give myself permission to not reply to everything. Even delete stuff without replying.
I sort out the non-urgent stuff without having to look at it. I set up filters and folders in my Gmail account which has been a lifesaver.
I use a vacation responder on the weekends. It tells anyone who emails me when I’ll be back. That way I’m absolved of the guilty feelings I get when I know someone is waiting for a reply.
As a general rule, I clear out my inbox weekly. I read email more frequently than that, but a mostly empty inbox is my goal once per week.
Lastly, I have an email account that is bottomless. Gmail lets me “archive” as many emails as I want so I don’t have to get rid of them, ever.
What I’m working on
Easing up. Email is often a somewhat helpful distraction when I’m trying to think up ideas. Instead of berating myself for checking email when I don’t need to, I’m getting better at being gentle with myself.
Starting at the end. Since my goal is to clear out once per week, I have begun responding first to the people who’ve waited the longest. This takes a HUGE load off my shoulders. It’s just hard to do because the new email always seems more fun and interesting to me.
What do YOU do to prevent email overwhelm?
What works really well for you? What are you working on?
Share your organizing insights and ideas! Remember to be kind to yourself and others.
Organized under Creating order, Making peace with piles. Labeled as compassion, delegate, email, gmail, inbox, overwhelm, prioritizing, vacation, What do YOU do.
207 days ago,
Julica said:
I’ve come to realize that it does not work to have emails remind me of things I need to do. I quickly accumulate over 10 emails of things that need doing, then I don’t see them, then…you get the picture.
So now that I’m trying new ways of keeping tabs on my to dos, including the autofocus notebook and stickies (thank god for stickies), I am letting myself trust that the gmail search function does indeed work, and I can pull up an unfinished email-related task without keeping it in my inbox.
I’ve actually been cleaning my inbox every day now that I’m doing that, and I once again feel like email is my friend. Though the relationship is still tenuous, as this is a 2-week-old practice.
I’m glad to be writing about it, now I feel more committed to staying on track. Nothing like being public for staying accountable, right?
207 days ago,
Marcia Bagnall said:
I like to create personal folders (I use Outlook) and this gives me a place to store emails I want to refer to later. It also helps me with the sorting process because I can evaluate the relative importance of emails as I either delete them or save them.
207 days ago,
Amanda said:
Hey, love the new site and the blog! I love my Gmail account. I route just about everything to it, work email, personal email, my own business email, and I’m strongly considering routing my volunteer email to it too. I recommend it to everyone. And I love deleting without replying. What I do since some of my emails need immediate reply, I sit in my email all day, and when something comes thru that does need immediate attention, I shoot a quick note back saying I’m looking into it. I read everything as it comes in, so I can decide what needs my attention and what doesn’t, and I dump the junk right away, plus have loads of filters set up for everything to keep it all organized.
207 days ago,
Nathalie Lussier said:
I’ve found that not opening up & reading new emails until I have the time to sit down & reply works wonders for me.
It’s a lot less stress than continuously reminding myself to reply, and my curiosity keeps me replying in a sort-of timely matter.
207 days ago,
Katy said:
Jen, congrats on the new digs. Love it!
As for email, I am the QUEEN of multiple folders. My favorite folder is the “follow up” one. I move stuff in there and know that I need to get to it later. To make it more obvious, I keep things “unopened” until I deal with it. This way I always see that there’s something to get to.
That said, I have been known to go days (dare I say, weeks) to actually follow up on something from time to time. Not proud, just being honest
207 days ago,
Karen Field said:
I love your ’starting at the end’ tip. I’m always thinking ‘Oooh that new email looks interesting!’ and then I just get side-tracked into something else. Definitely going to apply that bit of structure to my emails – thanks!
207 days ago,
Debbie Rodgers said:
I spend most of one day a week processing e-mail & then limit myself to 1 hour each morning for the rest of the week.
I really like your suggestion of easing up since I feel terribly guilty checking my Inbox throughout the day.
(I often wonder what I did with that time, before e-mail.)
207 days ago,
Deborah said:
Email inbox decluttering is one of those go-to things to do when I’m avaioding other stuff or not getting anything practical done. Often it isn’t the “best” use of my time but clearing out the clutter feels REALLY GOOD!
207 days ago,
Mona Grayson said:
Love your new blog here, Jen. Sa-weet!
So – on preventing email overwhelm, here’s what I do:
- Cut down on the amount of email I receive.
This means taking an extra minute sometimes to go to the bottom of an email to UNSUBSCRIBE from emails that I don’t need to be receiving anymore.
I find that even *receiving* a lot of email (even if it doesn’t require response from me) contributes to the overwhelm. So the less email I receive, the better.
- If I can help it, I don’t respond to people’s email right away if I’m sitting at the computer when it comes in.
Why?
Because I don’t want to train people that I’m the type of person who is going to respond to emails right away. Know what I mean?
If they send an email and 2 minutes later they have a reply from me, they may start to expect that I’m just sitting there waiting for their email to come in so I can write back to them immediately.
It may be the case for that particular day, but later on, I may not be able to respond right away – or even for a few days – so I want to try to manage expectations with my emails.
Of course, there are exceptions and sometimes it *is* important to hit reply right away. But I definitely keep this in mind when I’m dealing with my email.
- I do your start-at-the-end of the pile tip too. Also, sometimes I’ll just scan the pile and see which email looks the easiest and quickest to respond to also. Nice to start with some easy wins when I’m getting into a period of responding to emails.
Love how everyone here is sharing their good tips too. Thanks!
207 days ago,
Cassandra Rae said:
I give myself permission to only check email 3 times per day and Sunday is a no-computer day. I must say that it is of the utmost importance to have some kind of email structure. Otherwise it just piles you down.
207 days ago,
emilylime said:
I LOVE the idea of starting with the oldest emails. For whatever reason, that never occurred to me. I have slowly been creating an elaborate (but not too laborious) system of labels and filters in gmail for handling non-essential but interesting emails (listserves, mailling lists, etc). My other big thing is actually reading things as soon as they get to my inbox. I don’t feel so bothered by a lot of emails in my inbox, but a lot of unread emails stress me out. I just glance quickly at the things in my inbox and then use the stars to let me know if it is just info, something to follow up on, or stuff I need to remember/info to use in the immediate future.
207 days ago,
Cynthia said:
I have my two work accounts set up so that that mail only comes in if I press the ‘retrieve’ button. (And I’ve trained myself to retrieve mail only at certain times.)
My personal mail, which is fun, is retrieved automatically.
(I use Mail for Mac.)
207 days ago,
jennifer said:
@Cassandra – I love this. Boundaries (even flexible ones) make such a difference. It means YOU are the one in control of the email.
@Mona – Reduction is so key. HUGE. And I couldn’t agree more with the “training people” part. We teach others how to treat us, and how soon you reply is a perfect example of this. What a great way to respect yourself.
@Deborah – Yes! The removal of visual distraction by decluttering really does make a difference.
@Debbie – What *did* you do with that time before email? Would you still like to do whatever that was?
@Karen – You’re welcome!
@Katy – I love folders, too. Honest is good.
I get what you mean about the unopened mail. I open things and then “mark as unread” without replying – especially when there’s too much to do. I just “have” to make sure it’s not urgent, you know? It’s not perfect, but it works.
207 days ago,
Jess said:
I set aside a specific time to deal with my inbox.. like in the mornings. I seperate everything into have to do now.. can do later, and not important, browse at leisure… and thats how I handle it all. =)
It makes things very easy to keep under control. By doing this I feel as if my inbox is working for me instead of me working for it.. =)
Great new blog by the way!! =)
207 days ago,
Pamela Kingsley Seay said:
Hi Jen, I love the new blog site!
OK, email pile up. I am dealing with this now. When I want to clear out my emails, I view them by “from”. I can then quickly loose the ones I know I don’t want, then I put others into file folders under my inbox. I also don’t keep anything from a group which could be accessed from a group site. I check my email at least twice a day and then if I am working in the studio and here that special little sound I may glance over to decide whether it is urgent or something which could wait until later.
207 days ago,
Michelle Marlahan said:
One of my most favorite Jen statements is that I get to choose responding to an email… or not. An email is a request for info/communication, not a requirement. This and the “delete” button have been life- and sanity-savers.
Email is definitely what I do when I’m avoiding something else. Lately, closing the application and checking it only a few times a day has helped.
I’ve also started communicating with friends more on Facebook or the phone (or they’ve fallen away) since personal emails can be so time-consuming.
Thanks, Jen!
207 days ago,
jennifer said:
@Nathalie – I’m curious – how do you “know” you have time to reply? I love this idea and am curious about what works for you.
@Amanda – Gmail rocks. So do their filters. Very cool!
@Marcia – Agreed! Separating them into folders is similar to the process of sorting through a pile. All the urgent stuff gets done and the bills get filed, etc. Very cool!
@Julica – Public accountability is soo helpful, isn’t it? It seems like just bringing mindfulness to email is half of the work. So congrats on your 2-week old practice – AND for finding ways to remind yourself that decrease overwhelm. Way to be kind to yourself!
207 days ago,
jennifer said:
Whew! I love all the great replies – email is such a HUGE topic for people. I love all the ideas that have come up so far!
@emilylime – Wow! So, for you, having fewer unread emails is best for your sanity, even if it means checking it frequently. It’s a good think to know about yourself, isn’t it!
@cynthia – Ahh! The magical “retrieve” button! What email program do you use? My Gmail updates automatically, but I wouldn’t mind at ALL having one of those buttons.
@Jess – What a great reminder: Email is a tool. I love this.
@Pamela – You bring up an interesting point about not keeping information that you can find somewhere else on the Web. I’ll bet that helps decision-making easier!
@Michelle – It’s soo true that sometimes email *isn’t* the best way to connect with people. Or the most meaningful. As old fashioned as it sounds, I like to pick up the real live phone and call – or even write a card – when I want to connect.
207 days ago,
Lisa Hunter said:
Congraaaaatultions on your new blog Miss Jen!! It’s beeeeauteeefull ;0)
Regarding email, I do the “in-box down to zero” thing once a week. This means I get to let myself, guilt-free, consume and respond only to the juicy fun emails that I’m excited about for most of the week, and then at the end of the week, or somewhere thereabouts, I ninja my way through the others, which also feels very satisfying when performed with an “and another one down” attitude.
Also, I’ve fallen out of this but want to get back to it – I’ve noticed it really works for my sanity (and for having a life in general) to only check at certain times of the day. For me, once in morning and once in late afternoon. I really rocked at that for a while, but then fell out of rhythm with it, probably for a reason. But lately I’ve been craving to get back to that.
Thanks for inspiring!
207 days ago,
Karen DeBolt said:
Enjoying your blog so much Jen!
I’m loving all the great advice about managing email. I am far from perfect at it, but I find that sometimes I just have to be ruthless and dump stuff that I might be interested in, but don’t have time for right now. That means unsubscribing to newsletters that aren’t getting read at least now and then. So when I find myself constantly deleting something, then I know its time to let it go! I remind myself that I can alway go back to it later if I need it again.
This concept is working well with my physical stuff too. Thanks so much for all the great information that you send out. Your newsletter is definitely one that I read!
Looking forward to seeing you around here!
All the best!
206 days ago,
Tami Stackelhouse said:
Love the blog! How can any of us go wrong with more Jen? =)
I’ve completely fallen in love with Gmail’s multiple inbox thing. (One of the Google Labs features.)
I’ve set up extra boxes for key areas I want to watch with filters to move those conversations into those boxes only. This keeps my main box more streamlined. One box is for my money related stuff, like bills. Another is for client follow-ups, etc.
I also take major advantage of filters and labels. If an email comes in that doesn’t have a filter or label, I’m trying to stop & think, “should I be filtering this somehow?” This includes setting up filters to send things directly to the Trash without me even seeing it!
I’ve also removed myself from lists that I enjoyed but just didn’t have time for. Again, I asked with each email, “do I REALLY need to be on this list?” With many, I chose to bookmark their site, instead, for visiting occasionally or rejoining later; some I just let go.
I found that for a few mailing lists I was on, like the company I use for our email marketing, I didn’t want to unsubscribe, but I didn’t need to see them each time they came in either. For instance, I wanted the tips on how to send effective email campaigns, but I only wanted to review those tips before sending a campaign! In these cases, the Google Labs Quick Links feature is a big help. I can set a filter to automatically mark these email as read and archive them without them hitting my inbox. Then I can make a Quick Link to any saved search (like for these tips). When I’m ready to send an email, I use the Quick Link to check my tips. (I also use this on the newsletters I get from the computer game companies. Shhh! Don’t tell!)
Like Karen said above, “I find that sometimes I just have to be ruthless.” At least with Gmail I can ruthlessly Archive. Then I can search it back out if I need it.
Great ideas & feedback here ladies!
206 days ago,
Leah said:
Jen, Hooray for you new blog!!! It looks fabulous and I’m super thrilled to get to hear more from you in this form.
Hmm, I’m curious about this email filtering tool. I’ll have to look into it.
206 days ago,
Mark Silver said:
Congrats on blogging, Jen! Now it will be easier for me to share your awesomeness with folks.
As for email, I have two somewhat paradoxical beliefs around email:
- it’s a really critical, important way to stay in touch with people I care about and who care about me. It’s worth spending dedicated time on, rather than just trying to “fit it in.”
- It’s okay to go through rhythms with email, sometimes ignoring it for days, while I stay focused on a particular project or deadline.
Between the two, I can get stuff done, and I get back to inbox zero from time to time.
Of course, the biggest thing is having a back-end contact manager, so I’m not using my inbox as a de facto database.
Okay- that’s the two things that are really three.
love to you, Jen!
Mark
206 days ago,
Pauline Esson said:
Oh what a lovely blog, I love the restful colours, I’m breathing more deeply already.
My e-mail system is like a lot of others…..folders…mmmmm folders
I check once a day and if it’s not a 30 second doable thing I move into folders
awaiting action
awaiting reading
awaiting reply
amaybe
(oh and I have two ’show’ files…one things to show my son and the other to show my partner)
Then on Monday I take care of business admin and Friday I do domestic admin and reading and clear through all the awaiting files.
It’s been working pretty well for me.
206 days ago,
Sherra said:
I love, love, love gmail! It really has some great features to keep your email more organized. My simple favorite is just clicking the star which serves as a reminder to respond when time allows.
But…email is a time suck so I just try to remember it is simply another productivity tool like a phone–not a force of nature! Read that in a book a few years ago and would give credit if I could remember the title!
All that said, I try to respond within 24 hours if possible, hardly ever on the weekends and do a serious cleanup/delete/file once or twice a month.
206 days ago,
Christine Martell said:
Jen,
I was doing really well keeping my inbox under 20 emails for several months. Recently I have let it slide and I’m back over 100. Still much better than the 3000 that used to be normal.
I like your idea of starting with oldest, since often they won’t look as important anymore.
The other thing that I like in Gmail is the superstars that allow me to have multiple colors and have a priority marking system.
206 days ago,
Rachael said:
The blog is here! The blog is here! Yayyyyy!
Email clutter, oh my. Getting my inbox to zero is a pipe dream for me, but I have taken steps recently to make the monster more manageable.
-Deleted a bunch of work email
-Unsubscribed from a bunch of listservs & the like
-Created a gmail acct for personal email (I’m not fully switched over, but it helps!)
And some of my everyday habits include:
-Marking items as “unread” until I can get to them
-Not responding right away unless it’s important
-But responding fairly soon if it is, so I don’t forget or begin to put it off
-Shutting off digsby more often, so I’m not as tempted by the personal email alerts
-Filtering the occasional email into my calendar if it’s the end of the day or if the email is tied to an event or meeting
-Copious use of folders & filters in general
I’m inspired by seeing how others manage their email, and will give some of the additional ideas a try!
Thanks Jen!
206 days ago,
Yollana said:
Hey Jen, congratulations on your new blog and I LOVE the phrase “blograising” … did you make that up?
It feels like a very proper and honouring thing to do, anyway.
I recently had the wonderful goodluck of having my computer crash, twice. The second time, I went gmail. I recovered my Outlook data in a PST file but… didn’t import it anywhere!
Then I googled “inbox zero” and learned all the tricky gmail tips for that, which others here have mentioned (actually, I have a google apps email account, but its more or less the same as gmail.)
It was REALLY fun having a REAL zero inbox for a couple of weeks. But now, because I’m human and I’m me, it’s getting back up to 30 or so.
As someone else said – at least it’s not the 3000 that used to be normal!
I also like that I can now check email on my iphone. It’s nice to be able to do something like that when I’m waiting for an appointment… *If* I want too.
And thanks so much for the reminder about not berating myself for checking email (…or for anything really!)
I’m imagining this comment as like a home-cooked quiche for your blograising party
206 days ago,
Amy Crawley said:
Hi Jen,
Wow, I really admire the fact that you can get your email inbox down to zero. I’ve never been able to do that.
I also have numerous folders for emails I want to save and have set up “rules” for other emails so they automatically go into their designated folders.
For e-newsletters, such as yours, I set a “read by” date in my Entourage to-do list. A reminder pops-up as that date gets closer. Other newsletters I’ve had to unsubscribe, especially the catalogs (place one order online and your committed electronically for life it seems.)
My worst habit is not responding to some emails that I intend to get back to later. Like you said, those emails wind up at the bottom of the pile and are easily forgotten. Something else to add to the to-do list.
Like many other things, it is a habit that requires some discipline but if you fall off course just start over again.
And congrats on the new blog!
205 days ago,
jennifer said:
I’m laughing about email because all these fabulous replies (thank you!) have changed the contours of my inbox the last few days.
I set up a filter so that anything coming from “Inspired Home Office blog” goes from my inbox automatically into a folder. The key here is that the side folder is easy to see – and I recognize when new mail is there, so I can go check it.
I set that up last night and am thankful for the opportunity to do something good for myself – AND also for all the awesome comments here so far! Woohoo!
205 days ago,
jennifer said:
@Amy – Down to zero is a goal I chose for myself… but the important thing is to choose a goal that works for *you* and makes you feel peaceful?
@Yollana – Welcome! Mmm…quiche! I don’t think I made up the term “blograising”, but I can’t remember where I heard it. I love that you’re not berating – your email strategies sound fantastic!
@Rachael – Yay, you’re here!
Is your *goal* zero?
@Christine I agree – using the past for a reference can be helpful to mark improvement! How do you use the colored stars? I’ve never tried it!
@Sherra – Welcome! I love your ideas and peaceable truce with email. (Gmail rocks!)
@Pauline – Faaaahhhhbulous! I can see *why* this system works for you. Very simple and elegant.
@Mark – I love your email paradox. And knowing how present you are in your connections with folks, I’m sure they don’t mind being put on the back burner from time to time.
@Tami – Wow! The consciousness you bring to your inbox has *got* to pay off. I couldn’t have written better instructions myself.
I will have to check out the google labs tools you mentioned – they sound really effective!
205 days ago,
Sharry Teague said:
What a great community! I’ve gotten some nudges to do more filtering up front from women’s comments. I’ve just unsubscribed from about 25 political organizations. I decided on the top 5. As someone else said, even if I just delete it takes time and sometimes I feel guilty about not reading.
204 days ago,
jennifer said:
@Sharry Woohoo on the unsubscribes! If nothing else, this choice removes *countless* emails from even arriving in your inbox in the first place.
Unsubscribing is a modern example of “a stitch in time saves nine.” Yay!
198 days ago,
Gina said:
What I am working on: unsubscribing! Here’s a funny thing.. how guilty I feel for unsubbing from groups that support causes I care about.. not like I’m actually acting on them or even able to read 99% of them, but somehow, if I unsub from the daily emails, I feel like I’m sending a message that I don’t care about the environment, or starving children, or peace.
Gina´s last blog ..The Fifth Element
190 days ago,
jennifer said:
@Gina – Wow. Unsubscribing is a huge way to care for yourself… and you’re right. It brings up all kinds of feelings when we do it.
Just the other day I was unsubbing from a bunch of stuff and I had a really, really hard time with the newsletters of people I know personally. I didn’t want to hurt their feelings.
In the end, though, it’s you who has to contend with the inbox. You can do it step by step and feel the feelings as you move through the process.
135 days ago,
Robyn Seaton said:
This looks like an oldie but a goodie post, but I couldn’t resist replying.
I use Outlook for work and Gmail for personal. I like Gmail much better with the multiple tagging and other options. Outlook 2007 has some expanded capabilities for putting things in “categories,” which I haven’t tried for email yet. That might help. I’m always putting a mail in one folder and then looking for it in another one.
I love several of the ideas here. I just went out to Google Labs for gmail and found all kinds of cool stuff that I am going to try.
I also need to be much more diligent about reviewing and unsubscribing from newsletters. There’s no way I can possibly read all of them, so I usually end up reading none of them, which is pretty ridiculous.