3 Ways to Overhaul Your Email Habits (60-Second Video) Feel like you're drowning in a flood of email? Here's how to cut down on email stress and increase productivity.
By Hayden Field
- Stop checking your email in realtime. Commit to opening your inbox no more than three times a day: at the beginning, middle and end. You'll need to turn off badge icons and notifications on your phone to make this work.
- Set inbox filters. Most large email clients allow you to sort your email however you want by setting inbox rules for which types of messages -- or which senders -- go into each section. For example, you can create an "Urgent" folder for messages from your business partner, investors and large clients.
- Try to eliminate all unnecessary back-and-forth on email. Before you respond to a message, ask yourself what you can do to create the least amount of future emails on the chain. That might mean picking up the phone and calling someone to schedule a meeting or taking unnecessary recipients off the thread.
For more tips, check out Entrepreneur's article on email habits.
