I receive dozens of emails every day. While it’s always great to be in contact with others, the sheer volume of communication can sometimes feel overwhelming.
Action – Here are a few tricks for getting a handle on the inbox.
1. Set times you will check your email. Perhaps once an hour or three times a day. Unless you’re working on something truly urgent that means you MUST be in contact with others, stick to those times.
2. But only check the inbox when you have time to respond. There is no point filling up your brain with even more things to do by looking at the inbox when you don’t have the time to answer.
3. And use an auto responder to send out a message along the lines of “thanks for your email, I’ll reply as soon as possible.” A note like that makes the sender feel acknowledged while not putting you under pressure to respond immediately.
4. Use the best anti-spam software you can find. Stop the truly unwanted before they even get a chance to get through the door.
5. Turn off any bell or ringer you have that notifies of new email. It is disruptive and actually unnecessary.
Remember, email is a tool. Don’t let it control you.