It’s one of the first demons of your work day. You sign in to your email account and find that you have more emails than you can read in one sitting, and they include those that you haven’t opened in the past few days. Emails can pile up, get out of hand, and become a source of distraction. They may make you waste a lot of time that could be better spent doing more important things around the office.
Emails are designed to streamline communication between employees and businesses, but they can take up more time than you think. What’s worse is that they can overwhelm and stress you on many levels.
Listed below are some simple yet useful tips on how to manage your inbox.
Don’t Connect Your Social Media Accounts to Your Work Email
Some businesspeople make the mistake of connecting their social media accounts to their work emails. Doing this means you will receive notifications each time someone likes a photo you’re tagged in on Facebook or when someone retweets your tweet. Aside from the fact that these emails flood your inbox, they serve as a distraction at work, by tempting you to take numerous breaks to see who has commented on your latest #ThrowbackThursday photo.
Filters Up!
Many email services have a flexible function that allows users to set up filters that sorts mail for you. Filters may not help you delete incoming items all at once, but it reduces the stress by helping you prioritize which correspondences need immediate response. You can create categories like “Unimportant,” where marketing newsletters and chain messages directly stream into, and “High Priority,” where work e-mails with deadlines automatically land.
Respond Immediately
Sometimes, even though you have a special category for deadline-driven emails, you still wonder where the bulk of these correspondences come from. Emails pile up when you don’t respond to them immediately. Avoid procrastination or set up a schedule when you can respond to them appropriately, in case responses can be delayed.
Be Careful With Your Words
When composing messages, make sure to address all concerns and leave no room for inquiries (unless it’s a letter of inquiry). Write a message that will not create more emails. Choose your words carefully to prevent misunderstanding, which usually leads to longer threads and more emails.
Managing your inbox can be stressful, but once you focus on it, you’ll realize that it can make you more productive throughout the day. Other than using built-in widgets, we at 365VirtualAssistant provide effective email management and clerical services that will make your job lighter. Contact us today to learn more.
