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Don't Let Email Overload Sabotage Your Productivity

Posted Jan 16, 2017

Our inboxes inundate us, and the volume of email we are required to manage is negatively impacting our productivity. Follow these simple tips to prevent your emails from overloading you.

Recognize what’s important. Most of the email you receive is bulk or junk mail; only about 38 percent is actually relevant to your work. Acknowledging this truth will help you put your inbox in perspective and free you to spend your time on high-value issues.

Decrease your incoming email volume. If more than 60 percent of your email is unnecessary, stop receiving it. Unsubscribe from lists and promotions you don’t need.

Work smart to eliminate the need for email. With some process standardization, you can reduce the need for piecemeal follow-up and excessive meetings. Avoid unnecessary FYI and Reply-All messages.

Eliminate distracting notifications. Pop-ups and other notifications interrupt your workflow and mental processes. To combat these distractions, close your email program and designate a few times a day to check and process emails.