Simple tips to declutter your overflowing email inbox

It’s not uncommon to have hundreds or even thousands of emails waiting for attention or action. My inbox comfort level tends to be about 15 emails. If you’re overwhelmed by hundreds or thousands of emails, use these simple strategies that I’ve found effective.

Delete, delete, delete! Get rid of anything you don’t need. I check my email frequently to delete unnecessary messages. This may be regarded as obsessive checking but it works for me.

Unsubscribe when you no longer want to receive emails you were once interested in. Look for the clickable “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of every newsletter or other mass mailings. It takes a couple of seconds and is well worth it. Be selective about giving out your email address.

I typically read and then immediately respond to emails during weekday hours. My responses are as brief as possible to save time and the recipient probably appreciates my brevity. Use bullet points in lengthy emails.  They are quicker to compose and easy to read. Emails I’ve chosen not to immediately respond to are marked “unread” so they don’t slip through the cracks.

You may have emails you want to save or archive for your records but don’t require any other action. I suggest moving these emails from your inbox into labeled folders. For example, I have a folder labeled “clients” that I use for all my client correspondence, and a folder for non-business related emails labeled “personal” as well as many other labeled folders for different categories.

Take 10 minutes today and delete as many emails as possible and then share this article with others who are experiencing email overwhelm.