Just as there is no end to the amount of complaining done about email, there is also no end to the amount of advice floating around about how to make email better. Hopefully, everyone knows by now that using “Reply all” to say something like “Got it” is the perfect way to become the least liked person in everyone’s inbox.

How do we shift through all this email advice that is as numerous as un-read messages in our inbox?

What are some best practices that reduce not only our inbox overload, but also make us more productive and efficient?

Email Addiction                                                            

It must be recognized that many of us are addicted to our emails. We feel the same compulsion to check our email messages as we do any notification on social media. We go to our email so often for the same reason we go to Facebook or Instagram: for distraction. The difference is that email feels responsible. Email is work. People need you to respond. It’s just as legitimate that project that was frustrating you a second before you left it to check your email.

The idea of mindfulness in the work place is starting to take a hold. We should start to think more intentionally about our email compulsions. The next time you’re in an elevator and want to check email, or working on a tedious project and feel the need to check your messages, don’t. Instead, look inward.

What is causing this email compulsion? Every second does not need to be filled with stimulation. If you need a break from a project, going down the rabbit hole of email is not a good break. If we fill our heads with so much email clutter, we’ll never have the clarity necessary to make true progress. We distract ourselves from difficult work issues with email, instead of taking a quiet moment to evaluate the problem and ourselves.

Check your Checking   

Some companies are trying to eliminate email entirely. Some people must go on email sabbaticals because it’s so invasive in their lives.

If it is not practical for you to eliminate email from your everyday life, you can structure it so that you can reduce the amount of time you spend in your inbox.

It is recommended to check your inbox only a set number of times a day. Schedule the time you will check your inbox.

Consider checking it at 10am, 1pm, and 4pm (or whatever increments works for your schedule).

Now you have reduced your email checking from 10-20 times a day to just three. But if you check your inbox three times a day for 2 hours each time that is not going to reduce your email dependency.

You should time yourself for 30 minutes. This self-imposed deadline will create a sense of urgency to your task and force you to keep replies short.

The longer an email is, the less likely it is to be understood or even read. If you need to take more than 5 lines to explain something, consider a different communication method such as a phone call or a short meeting.

Organize your Inbox  

Email inboxes are personal things, like your desk drawer or closet. How you choose to organize and keep it clean is up to you. The important thing is that you do try to have structure and stay on top of it. How you keep folders and messages filed is a personal preference, but below are some tips for each email triage you perform.

When you go to your inbox, scan the messages.

First, delete everything you know is irrelevant.

Next read the messages.

For each message you will either need to respond, add a task to your to-do list, or just file away the information, if it is an FYI type of email.

Don’t put off responding to emails. One major reason we keep coming back to our inboxes is to mull over how we want to respond to a tricky or tedious message. Maybe you’re just waiting on some further information. It’s best to simply inform that person, so they know they were heard, and add them to your follow-up list.

Adding items to your to-do list will greatly help reduce your email dependency, because instead of having to check your email inbox to make sure none of your tasks are falling through the cracks, you can simply check your different lists and be able to determine what need immediate attention and reassure yourself that you are not missing any crucial elements.

Sometimes it can even help to have different lists. One for additional new tasks you were assigned via emails, a list of projects or information you need to check-up on, and any other lists that will categorize and simplify the information you extract from your inbox.

Automate your email 

Do you get the same basic requests for information all the time? Have a generic response that can be personalized for these frequent email inquiries. This copy and paste will save you from having to type similar responses all day long, and of course you should tweak it slightly for each recipient.

You can also set up rules to make “out of office” and other such generic emails go straight to trash, reducing your inbox volume and saving you time from sifting through those emails during your periodic inbox checks.

There are also many rules you can assign to your email that can make the most important emails be sent as texts to your phone. This way you won’t be afraid of closing your inbox because you know that if the VP emails you, it will go straight to your phone.

Don’t start your day with email   

The first time you check your email should be after an hour or two of working. Starting your day checking email is a great way to get off track, raise your stress levels, and get sucked into sending and replying.

While it is tempting to start the day checking your messages, the way you start your work day will set the tone for the rest of the day. Email’s are usually not the top priority. Figure out what you most need to accomplish that day, and do that first.

Email has been an important part of company communication for decades. It does not look like it is going anywhere soon. Email can make you feel so busy that you never get anything done.  The most important thing is to not let it rule your 9-5 and kill your productivity.  Being strict with your email can help keep if from taking over your life and letting it distract you from the tasks at hand.