Wednesday
Aug052009
Overcome Email Overload
Wednesday, August 5, 2009 at 7:41PM | Kathleen Nadeau, Ph.D. 
A crowded e-mail inbox can be a source of nonstop digital distractions. This 11-step program will help anyone get organized to tackle e-mails before they pile up.
Use the following strategies to manage time, get organized, and keep digital messages from crowding out important tasks that need to get done at work and at home:
Limit Messages
The fewer email messages that come in, the fewer you have to deal with.
Set e-mail software filters for messages you want to receive, but don’t need to read right away. They will automatically be archived or moved to a folder you designate. To set up a filter in Outlook, choose “Rules and Alerts” from the Tools menu; in Gmail, click “settings” (at the upper right of your screen), then click the “filters” tab.- Mark unwanted e-mails as spam. Future messages from the sender will go to your junk-mail folder.
- Use an e-mail-filtering program to limit access to your inbox. These programs, such as ChoiceMail, automatically approve e-mails only from the senders you know and trust. Unapproved senders will be blocked.
Manage Messages You Receive
- Resist opening e-mails first thing in the morning.
- Ask others that you work with regularly to only CC you on truly important messages.
- Don’t allow others to set your agenda. Set a schedule to attend to e-mail -- a half-hour before lunch and a half-hour before you leave for the day.
- Turn off the e-mail notification function. Having attention called to each new message is a distraction that you don’t need.
- Limit follow-up e-mails. Create a subject line that lets the recipient know exactly what your message is about.
- Respond to any e-mail that requires a brief response as soon as you open it. Don't put it off to re-read later.
- Mark e-mails that require an action. You’ll be able to quickly find the action items later on.
- Empty your inbox every day. Old e-mails that require no immediate action distract you from more important e-mails that require your attention.
Follow these simple rules, and you’ll soon find you have more time for important tasks. Don’t spend your day in “reply mode” – set your own agenda!
Reader Comments (3)
as i try to limit the amount of paper reminders, i started to send myself emails instead. now i realize that i just shifted the problem from sticky notes to electronic clutter. it is so hard to delete/throw things away! it's a mindset i can't seem to escape.
I really like the idea of turning off the email notification--it definitely gets me off task. I used to stressed out as email always creates more for my to-do list, so I've limiited my email time to a short time or two during the work day, and only once in the evening, well after dinner. I keep my laptop in another room, and not on the kitchen counter anymore. I am definitely lessed stressed!
I am applying the last tip sucessfully. No matter if all messages go to a folder to read later or simply to discard, I pick the important messages and have a clean inbox for he next day.