Ah, emails. Whether we love or hate them, our inboxes are an inevitable part of our everyday lives now that communications are almost always done electronically. From politely accepting a business offer to striking up a deal with your first client—email is where it’s at!
The only downside to email is the time we spend on it. While the hours spent in your inbox depend on your current industry, employees spend an average of around 13 hours per week just scrolling and reading through the messages they receive.
To put that number into perspective, that’s almost two full working days a week! That’s a large chunk of your life you won’t be able to get back anymore. So if you’re looking for a way to work more effectively at home or in the office, your inbox is a great place to start.
Below are nine actionable productivity tips that’ll help amplify your email productivity without spending too much time in your inbox!
Turn Off Your Notifications
It might sound counterproductive, but this is the trick you'll want to keep in mind out of everything we’re listing here.
Notifications are a double-edged sword. Sure, they will keep you updated. However, every interruption caused by a notification seriously undermines your productivity. All you'll think about is that notification. So enjoy the feeling of relief by turning off your PC, phone, and any other notifications you may have.
Create “Email Only” Windows Within Your Day
No notifications? No problem! Consider setting "email only" times daily to check and respond to emails. This way, you'll only stick to scheduled periods to work on emails rather than dipping in and out throughout the day.
The important thing here is to set aside time to focus entirely on email and avoid being distracted by other tasks. You can even adjust this window depending on how many emails you get and what works for you.
Follow The 2-minute Rule
If having an "email only" window is impossible, try following the 2-minute rule instead! The rule basically goes like this: if an email arrives and you can respond in less than two minutes, do so immediately.
Setting rules like these helps you save time by eliminating the need to decide whether to handle anything now or later.
Consider Using An Out-Of-Office Auto-Responder
Turning on your email's out-of-office responder can prevent the email backlog before it even begins! It only takes a minute and could avoid headaches in the future.
Prepare for a much-needed break by customizing your message and specifying the dates it should be active. The best part of this feature is that you can still check and respond to any urgent emails. Still, every email you receive automatically generates an Out-of-Office reply that informs senders of your expected return time.
Work Smarter, Not Harder with Smart Reply and Smart Compose
If you're using more sophisticated email apps like Gmail, let their features do the work for you! For example, tools like Smart Compose and Smart Reply can predict what you might want to write in the message you're about to send based on your usage and past emails.
The suggested text will appear in a shade that's a little lighter than what you've previously entered. Then, all you have to do is use the tab key on your keyboard to add the suggestion.
Templates are Your Best Friends
If your email application doesn’t have the Smart Reply or Smart Compose features, you can always turn to a good template or a canned response.
Most people who spend hours on their email inboxes often eventually find out that they send similar emails regularly. Identify what responses you send the most and turn them into templates that can be quickly modified and customized.
Bear in mind, though, that you cannot reply to all your emails with canned responses and automatic replies. Additionally, the sender may occasionally perceive these generic responses as less than sincere, which isn't ideal if you're trying to follow basic email etiquette.
Unsubscribe From All That Junk
Every day, we have emails arriving in our inboxes that we don't need. Daily newsletters, retail coupons—there are so many of them! So if you no longer open emails sent to you by a certain brand or business, it would be best to unsubscribe.
These emails will only take up space in your inbox. Spend time each month going through and unsubscribing from as many as possible.
Learn Keyboard Shortcuts Every Now and Then!
If you have spare time between tasks, why not try learning keyboard shortcuts? Knowing them by heart can significantly cut down on the time you spend on emails.
Reading, responding to, and organizing emails becomes much faster when you don't have to move between typing and using the mouse. Therefore, it's wise to memorize basic Gmail shortcuts like "m" for muting long threads, "k" for jumping to the next email, and "ctrl+enter" for sending emails. Want to learn more? Gmail Help compiled a list of all their keyboard shortcuts. Microsoft Support has one for Outlook too.
Manage Your Time and Energy
Email is not the end all, be all of your work. More pressing matters, deadlines, and other vital tasks need your attention. Save emails for times when you have made a conscious decision to deal with them unless they are urgent and affect your ability to achieve a deadline or a priority.
Avoid letting the non-stop stream of emails consume your energy! Instead, ensure you do what needs to be done daily and quit stressing over maintaining your "inbox zero."
Stay On Top Of Everything By Keeping Your Email Under Control
With the tips and tricks listed above, you, too, can take control of your inbox and get more things done in less time! Once you've automated some of the most mundane tasks and customized your inbox to fit your specific needs, you'll become a more efficient and productive worker in no time!
For more insightful articles on business, marketing, and the workplace, check out Breakfast Leadership’s Corporate Blog today!