A Step-by-Step Guide to Tackling Email Clutter

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Last week I decided to tackle my email clutter, and I ended up achieving the holy grail of digital minimalism - inbox zero. It felt so good (and also mildly disorienting). My brother was so freaked out by the celebratory image I texted him of my empty Gmail screen, he replied, “I need to stop looking at your confusing empty inbox, lest I lose my sanity.”

Functionally, inbox zero is a bit of a silly and unrealistic premise (new emails flowed in within seconds of hitting my goal), but there is certainly value to be found in reducing the stress and anxiety associated with having a cluttered inbox. Here’s how you can get started:

Unsubscribe From (almost) All Marketing Emails

I used to get hundreds of emails every single day from businesses and brands trying to sell me stuff I didn’t want or need. I have unsubscribed from 99% of them, and you can too. You can use a bulk unsubscribe service like unrollme, or just manually hit unsubscribe each time you get an unwanted email. I know it’s a drag, but it really only takes two seconds per email and will have a massive impact on your inbox hygiene.

Process Your Emails With These 4 Prompts

Each time you receive an email choose one of the following actions before moving on:

• Delete: Don’t want. Don’t need. Bye!

• Delegate: If the email requires someone else’s input before you respond, or your time would be better spent on other things and you have somebody to handle it for you, keep things moving by forwarding it to the appropriate party with brief instructions.

• Respond: If the email can be answered quickly and easily, respond immediately and archive or delete the thread.

• Defer: If the email requires a longer, more involved response, schedule a block of time on your calendar for follow up. You can move the email to a designated “follow up” folder or just leave it in your inbox until it’s been handled, then archive or delete.

Leverage The Archive Tool

Be decisive and ruthless when it comes to archiving emails that don't require further action. This will keep your inbox from becoming a storage bin, and you can always search by name, date, or subject if you want to reference an email later.

Tip: If you have more than 500 emails in your inbox, I suggest archiving all but the most recent and starting fresh. Clutter, bye!

Automate Common Responses

Create simple email templates for your most common responses. This saves time and ensures consistency in your communication. I have email templates which include my bio and professional headshot, one with my Zoom meeting link, a series to confirm new clients, and one to reply to collaboration inquiries. Creating these email shortcuts have saved me so much time by enabling me to effortlessly reply to my most common business inquiries.

Permission to Ignore

I used to believe that every single email I received was worthy of an immediate and thoughtful response, but, given the volume of emails I receive, it was simply not sustainable for me. I do my best to reply to everyone (often using automated responses), but I have also given myself permission to ignore and delete emails that feel spammy and not worthy of my time. Example: I probably get five emails a day asking to run sponsored ads in my newsletter. In fifteen years I have never once featured an ad in my newsletter, so these requests now get deleted without a reply.

Keep Your Responses Succinct

Brevity is your friend! Keep your emails concise and to the point, and avoid using email for lengthy discussions. For more complex issues, opt for a meeting or phone call instead.

Try These Tools

• Only check your email during specific, dedicated times. My old virtual assistant swore by only checking emails at 11am and 4pm in order to stay focused on other tasks. I’ve never once succeeded at this but I think it’s brilliant.

• Designate time slots where you only reply to emails and avoid reading new ones. This helps to clear out the backlog of responses without getting distracted by new messages.

• Try a task management tool like Trello, Asana, or Todoist to convert emails into actionable tasks outside of your inbox.

Have you found a strategy for taming inbox clutter? Have any questions for me about email organizing? Please share in the comments below.

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