01 May How to Survive the Email Flood

Inbox out of control? Fear not. Use our Email-Flood Survival Guide.

Written by Daniela Cavalletti

4 min read

It’s easy to see why we’re all getting so stressed by simply thinking of email: our inboxes are overflowing, spammy virus-laden messages swamp us, and we never ever seem to get on top of the growing beast of messages.

Those little buggers keep multiplying like rabbits!

Email Overwhelm? Blame the World Wide Web

It all started so innocently. In 1991, the World Wide Web opened to the public, making inter-company and direct consumer email communication a new exciting reality.

After the heady days of being able, for the first time, effectively communicate with your colleagues internally via digital messages, something even better soon started to really get you (and about 8.5 million other people) even more excited: Hotmail launched in 1996. Closely followed by Gmail in 2004.

Today, we cannot quite imagine a life without the quick, convenient communication that emails (and other messaging tools) provide. But, let’s face it: we often desperately wish for a life without the bottomless pit of it all, don’t we?

How to Survive the Email Flood

I’ve been struggling with too many messages and using my email inbox as a to do list for too long. At some stage it was time to take a hard look at how I manage my never-ending stream of incoming messages.

If you, too, prefer to conquer the email flood rather than sink in the vast ocean of messages, try some or all of my road-tested tips. Chances are, you will feel the burden of email dissipate and stop hyperventilating at the mere thought of checking your inbox.

This system takes a bit of practice and commitment to get going. Every system and new habit does. You will have bad days; you will have good days. Don’t beat yourself up about it. What matters is: you know you can be in control of rather than slave to your inbox. 

#1. Group ‘n’ Tag

Break down the beast into bite sized, similar chunks. I have categories for client projects, suppliers, networking, business development, etc. that I tag with a certain-colour flag or star. I scan all new messages first by just reading the subject line and the sender’s name. Don’t read the whole message (it’s doubling up; we don’t like doubling up). Allocate time in your day or week to each category, and attack your different groups of email messages in batches. Similar emails types require similar responses and thinking, so you (and your brain) will not jump around but be far more effective now. And it feels so damn good to see an empty category after you’re done!

#2. Time to Say Goodbye

Specify and unsubscribe. How many newsletters and alerts do you get that you never, ever read? A lot of sites and newsletters give you an option to subscribe to not all missives and notifications, but only the ones you’re interested in. The others are time-suckers that distract you from doing interesting and paid work (or go play and relax). Be picky, and even unsubscribe, be ruthless. Search your ‘All Mail’ inbox for the word ‘unsubscribe’ in the body copy regularly to identify mailouts (vs. messages sent to you for a more specific, individual reason). Then review what you want to keep or refine and what can safely go.

I also have a special ‘Read + Do Later’ folder – so I know where I can find certain interesting posts later (when I’m ready to give them proper attention), but without cluttering my inbox. As for your own email provider? Switch off their distracting, disruptive notifications and rediscover a sense of calm.

#3. File, Return or Delete

Do you use your inbox as a to do list? Me, too; and I’m not going to tell you that’s wrong. But do make it easier on yourself. File what can go – or delete it. Only keep important items in your inbox. If you are keeping an email simply as a reminder to contact a client or supplier, there are better, less cluttery ways. If you have a workflow program, schedule your reminders there for what’s in the email. Try handy tools like Boomerang for Gmail, Nudgemail, Followup or Followupthen for messages to go “poof!” for now – to reappear in your inbox when you actually need them.

As for filing … even there you can go too far. Check how much time you actually spend on sorting and filing messages. Do you really need to keep all of them, and so carefully sorted into folders, subfolders and sub subfolders? All modern email systems allow you to search your entire email flood by “to” and “form”, dates, email addresses, etc. Remember and use this instead of wasting time you don’t have right now to find specific messages. Action them and then delete them. Or file them in one main folder – not a gazillion of subfolders you’ll never explore again anyway – e.g, by client (not client/project/Emails From Bob/2018).

#4. Go Yesterbox, And Do It Tomorrow

I’ve experimented with the Yesterbox concept. While it does not solve the email flood problem per se, it has re-introduced a healthy dose of sanity (ah, sanity…). Here’s the simple, yet effective idea: today, only deal with yesterday’s emails (unless they’re urgent). Why? You’re done with email when you’re done with yesterday’s list. What you received in the past is done, it’s finite not never-ending. No rabbit-like multiplying of incoming emails for you: yesterday’s list just cannot get any bigger. Can you already feel that sense of completion-satisfaction? … On a side note: you can even apply this to tasks; check out productivity coach Mark Foster’s Do It Tomorrow.

#5. Too Many Apps in the Sea

There’s a never-ending stream of new email-productivity apps and tools out there to choose from (oh, the irony!). They all promise to get out of email flood overwhelm. Personally, I’ve found that most only create more work or distraction for me. New notifications, places to check messages, or opportunities for errors. So for me they generally are not worth using, but I know it’s a very individual preference. I only use Boomerang, and Pocket right now, but I’m open to discovering something utterly simple yet effective. Do send me your suggestions, or share them in the comments, please. 

Is Your Email Future Scary or Bright?

For 2019, predictions are that every one of us will, on average, have close to 130 emails popping into our business inbox. Daily. That’s enough to drive anyone mad. But don’t forget your personal emails: you can look forward to sending and receiving about 90 to 100 emails each day.

Scared? Ready to pass out? Can’t say I blame you. Instead of reaching for the smelling salts, give this email-flood survival guide a whirl.

And instead of drowning in the email flood, I hope you’ll find yourself gently bobbing along instead.