How many emails do you have in your inbox? Need some tips on how to conquer your email inbox? You can increase your productivity and reduce your email anxiety by doing three things: (1.) making behavioral changes; (2.) employing technology hacks; and (3.) effectively managing our sent mail! The first thing to do is to redefine the role of email.  Email is not something to check off of your TO DO list. It is not an accomplishment.  Email is a tool.  Email is something that you can use to get the real work done.

https://talkabouttalk.com/32-email-inbox

SHOWNOTES

Contents

* “How to Conquer your Email Inbox” (one-pager) 

* References & Links

* Podcast Transcript

 

“How to Conquer Your Email Inbox”

SEE ONE-PAGER AT: https://talkabouttalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Shownotes-32-CONQUERING-YOUR-EMAIL-INBOX.pdf

RE-DEFINE THE ROLE OF EMAIL

* Email is not something to check off of your TO DO list. Doing email is not an accomplishment.

* Email is something that you can use to get the real work done. Email is a tool.

BEHAVIORAL CHANGES

* Batch your email time and turn off notifications

* Sort by subject and filter when you’re feeling overwhelmed

* Set alerts for high priority senders

* Unsubscribe from emails that you rarely read

* Create different email addresses for different purposes, such as work or subscriptions or personal

* Use folders and only touch each email once

* If all else fails – Delete (or at least archive) your inbox. 

TECH HACKS

* A few tech-related things that you can set up once, and then forget about:

* turn off notifications

* prioritize key senders

* setting up your folders

* Set up Canned Responses

* Email apps and solutions, for example:

* Superhuman

* Spark

* Slack

 OPTIMIZE YOUR SENT EMAIL

* Keep it concise. Be brief.

* Customize the title

* Reduce the # of emails you send and the # of people you CC

References & Links

BOOKS

* “Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity” by David Allen – https://amzn.to/31KRfP2

* The GTD Workbook – https://amzn.to/31HI02b

* “Unsubscribe: how to kill email anxiety, avoid distractions, and get real work done” by Jocelyn K Glei – https://amzn.to/2Qm4HYt

* “Predictably Irrational” by Dan Ariely – https://amzn.to/30dxJhi

* “Because, Internet: Understanding the new rules of language” by Gretchen McCulloch – https://amzn.to/2QkZqAo

EMAIL HISTORY & STATISTICS

* Raymond Tomlinson (inventor)

* https://www.internethalloffame.org//official-biography-raymond-tomlinson

* https://www.radicati.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Email-Statistics-Report-2019-2023-Executive-Summary.pdf

* Statista: https://www.statista.com/statistics/911592/frequency-consumers-checking-work-emails-outside-work-hours/

* eMarketer: