Email is one of the most commonly used forms of communication today. It’s fast, efficient, and can be used to communicate with people all over the world. However, if you’re not careful, email can also be a huge time-waster. It is often one of the first things my coaching clients complain about at the beginning of my coaching engagements. In this blog post, we will discuss some tips on how to deal with emails effectively and efficiently. We will also hear from some experts in the field on their best tips for dealing with email!
One of the most important things you can do when it comes to email is to set up a system that works for you. Before anything else, this may mean having separate email accounts for personal and work correspondence. Set up folders according to priorities so that you can focus on the urgent and important tasks required to be actioned from each email. Whatever system you choose, make sure it is one that you are comfortable with and that you can stick to.
Don’t be afraid to unsubscribe from emails that are no longer relevant to you. This will help to declutter your inbox and make it easier to find the emails that are truly important. Another good way to declutter your inbox is to set up filters. This way, you can ensure that emails from certain senders go directly to a specific folder. Archiving emails has the same outcome and a much better way of sorting emails are you try to get to Inbox Zero. Emails aren’t deleted but have been put away in the right place and remains searchable.
When it comes to the actual time of day to deal with emails, try to batch process them whenever possible. Dedicate some time each day to reading and responding to email. Turn off notifications so that you are not constantly interrupted by new messages coming in. And when you are working on email, focus solely on that task so that you can complete it more quickly and efficiently. If you think you can be effective at multitasking while responding to emails, think again. Up to 45% of people feel that context switching makes them less productive.
Another important tip is to be thoughtful about when you send emails. Just because someone is contactable via email doesn’t mean they should be! Consider whether it would be more effective to talk to the recipient, especially if they are just a few desks away from you in the same office.
Finally, make sure you are taking advantage of all the features your email provider has to offer. Many providers have great tools that can help you manage your inbox more effectively. For example, Gmail’s Priority Inbox can be a great help in sorting through your emails.
Now let’s hear from some experts in the field on their best tips for dealing with email:
“One of my top tips for dealing with email is to make use of the ‘unsubscribe’ button! I know it can be tempting to just hit delete when you see an email that you don’t want to deal with, but this will only add to the clutter in your inbox. If you unsubscribe from emails that are no longer relevant, you’ll be surprised at how much easier it is to find the ones that are.” -Laura Vanderkam, time management expert and author of “Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done”
“I recommend using a tool like Boomerang to schedule when your emails are sent. This can be a huge time-saver, especially if you know you won’t be able to check your email right away. You can also use Boomerang to remind yourself to follow up on an email if you haven’t received a response after a few days.” -Danny Iny, author of “Engagement from Scratch!”
“One of my favorite tips for dealing with email is to use the ‘filter’ function. This allows you to automatically send emails from certain people or companies straight to your inbox or a specific folder. This can be a huge time-saver, especially if you get a lot of emails from sources that are not essential to your daily work.” -Pamela Slim, author of “Body of Work: Finding the Thread That Ties Your Story Together”
We hope you found these tips helpful! At its core, it’s about helping you get back to being able to focus better. Johan Hari talks about it in his book ‘Stolen Focus‘. Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to email, so find a system that works for you and stick to it. With a little bit of effort, you can make email work for you instead of against you.
Do you have any other tips for dealing with email effectively? Share them with us in the comments below!