Clear Your Email Clutter

Do you have email clutter?

If you have more than 50 un-filed emails in your Inbox, you just might have email clutter.

If your Spam or Trash folders are chucked full of emails, you just might have email clutter.

If you dread checking your email or feel overwhelmed when you do, you just might have email clutter.

Do you have email clutter?

Just like stacks of paper and junk mail around your home can be stressful, a big stack of emails in your Inbox can also be stressful.

I have personally felt overwhelmed with my email many times…it seems to multiply within minutes!! However, a few months ago, I decided to start checking my email less which meant I REALLY had to get organized!

Here are a few simple things I’m doing to keep my Inbox clean and organized:

1. Purge — Respond, delete, and/or file the emails that are currently in your Inbox. If this sounds overwhelming, just remember to “start small” working 10-15 minutes at a time.

2. Unsubscribe — I’ve been unsubscribing from junk mail and other mailing lists I don’t have the time to read. It takes me a few extra minutes up front, but I have already seen a decrease in the number of emails I receive each day.

3. Schedule — Set specific times throughout the day to regularly check your email {I try not to check mine more than 5 or 6 times per day}. Then when you do check it, go through the purging process again {see #1 above}.

4. Prioritize — When you sit down to check your email, decide which ones need your attention and which ones can wait. Respond to the important emails first and then work your way through the rest.  If you have Gmail you can install Priority Inbox and it will automatically sort your emails for you, putting the most important ones first. I just started using it and it’s wonderful!

Email clutter can be overwhelming — but the nice thing about this project is you don’t have to turn your entire house upside-down and make 5 trips to Goodwill! Start with just 10 minutes today and see what you can accomplish.