10 Smart Ways to Manage and Organise Your Emails

If your inbox feels like an endless to-do list, you are not alone. Managing emails can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right strategies, you can achieve the elusive Inbox Zero and keep it that way—without spending all day glued to your screen.

But first, let’s think about what causes a cluttered Inbox…

The obvious answer is that your inbox is bursting at the seams with emails. It’s easy to give you the standard 10 or 12 tips on how to clear and manage your inbox but first, we need to consider the route cause. Take a look at these reasons and ask yourself if any of them apply to you:

• A constant stream of emails: You have probably heard the stat that office workers receive around 121 emails each day and can spend up to 2.6 hours managing them. But no matter your role—business owner or employee—your inbox can quickly become a time-consuming black hole.

• Turning your inbox into a to-do-list: We have all been guilty of using our inbox as tick list of things we need to get done—unread emails mean tasks pending, while read ones are the ones we’ve successfully ticked off. This might work in the short term, but over time it leads to an overwhelming backlog, especially with complex tasks.

• Procrastination: Of your apparent 121 emails, only a fraction receives a response.  This ultimately results in a pile of emails that is enough to cause a mental gridlock, leading to procrastination.

• Newsletter subscriptions: Inboxes can be flooded with once useful newsletters, or those that include offers that give you a cheeky discount. However, they eventually become redundant, clogging up your inbox. Deleting doesn’t make them go away, they will sneak up on you again like a windscreen on a bug!

• Poor organisation: Organising your emails manually can guzzle up your time. It is so easy to go file crazy so you never know which one you put that email in.  The same goes for blanket lumping emails into files as this can still make prioritising and responding to important emails harder. Can you remember where you filed that email you wanted to review later, of course you can’t!

10 Smart Ways to Manage and Organise Your Emails

You can handle your emails more easily by employing the right email management strategies. Follow these tips below to implement an efficient email organization system:

1. Establish an email routine

On average, we check our emails 15 times a day. Think about how long it can take you to get back into the task at hand when you interrupt and check your inbox. It might take you 5 minutes for example. That doesn’t sound long but if you multiply that by fifteen, that’s an hour and fifteen minutes lost in your day!! You will also find yourself dealing with task 1 and then thinking about task 2 which you have spotted in your inbox. Stop this interruption by setting two to three email windows a day. Dedicate these times to read and reply to messages (or add to your to-do list). Any other time, turn off those notifications. Following a routine eliminates distraction and maintains productivity.

2. Use labels, folders, and categories

Categorise emails by content, urgency, or project (or whatever applies to your job) to keep your inbox tidy and improve efficiency. Use folders like “To-Do,” “Read Later,” or specific project names to quickly sort messages and find them easily later. Regularly reviewing and archiving emails will keep your system organised and manageable.

3. Create rules to automatically categorise and organise

Rule-based filters are a quick email automation tool to sort messages. They assess incoming emails using criteria such as sender address, subject lines, and keywords. Then, based on these criteria, they will trigger automatic actions, such as applying labels, moving to folders, highlighting text, and even deleting emails (definitely handy if you are an email hoarder!).

For instance, you can use this method to set up rules which automatically sort emails from key clients into a dedicated folder for quick access. Likewise, you can create a rule to redirect promotional emails to a separate folder. This will reduce clutter while keeping important messages front and centre.

4. Delete, Delete, Delete (or unsubscribe)

Clearing out unwanted, irrelevant, and outdated emails is a proactive way to keep your inbox organised and clutter-free. It prevents digital hoarding, which reduces mental overload, and makes it easier to find important messages without the stress.

The same principle applies to unsubscribing from newsletters and marketing emails—if you haven’t read them for more than a month or a week if you want to be a bit more ruthless, it’s time to hit unsubscribe.

Use the OHIO (Only Handle It Once) rule if you are fretting over whether to keep or delete an email. Open the email, act on it, delete it, or delegate it. This approach helps you make quick decisions about an email’s importance without debating it for the next 10 minutes. Don’t panic though, deleted emails typically stay in the bin folder for 30 days, so you have a safety net if needed. For emails you have read but may need later, consider archiving them instead. That way they are there for you to refer back to should you need. 

5. Use templates for your standard responses

If you find yourself frequently answering the same questions on repeat, create templates or canned responses to simplify the process. This saves time and effort while ensuring your replies are consistent and accurate. Using templates enhances inbox management and improves overall customer service. You might even want to consider using an email writing tool such as Click-Up or Grammarly.   

6. Follow the two-minute rule

The 2 Minute Rule effectively combats procrastination by prioritising immediate action. If you can reply to or resolve an email in two minutes or less, do it then and there. But be honest with yourself, don’t say it’s a two-day job just because you are dreading it! Keep in mind though to use this tip as a quick fix for smaller emails and tasks while categorising and scheduling activities for the bigger more complex ones.

7. Follow the Send few, receive few idea

While email is a convenient way to communicate, overusing it, especially for minor matters, can lead to a flood of needless responses and long, cluttered threads. By sending fewer emails you help control the volume of replies, creating a more organised and focused inbox.

Think about using alternatives like instant messaging, project management tools, or even a quick phone call for more direct and efficient communication. These methods eliminate the need for all the lengthy formalities and allow you to get straight to the point. You’ll be surprised how much time a quick phone call saves against scrolling through a long chain of emails.

8. Use the power of shared inboxes

Shared inboxes are powerful tools that centralise emails and related data, allowing teams to collaborate seamlessly. They serve as a combined hub for incoming and outgoing emails. They eliminate the need for constant email exchanges while ensuring everyone stays informed. How many times have you shouted at your monitor because you've been CCed in an endless email thread, constantly distracted by a million unnecessary notifications? Shared inboxes solve this issue by providing controlled access. They are ideal for customer-facing teams like marketing, sales, and support. Managers can easily assign emails to the right expertise, ensuring faster responses.

9.      Delete/Archive old emails

Going through your inbox regularly and deleting those old emails you have dealt with already will help keep it organised so you can find those important messages you still need to deal with. Deleting old emails will also free up storage space in your mailbox so new emails can flow with ease. If you are unsure if you may need it in the future, then, as previously said, archive it for peace of mind. 

So what’s number 10 I hear you ask…

10.  Have an assistant manage your inbox of course!

Handing over your inbox management to an assistant (you know, like a virtual one) can significantly boost your productivity. While it requires a bit of training to align them with your preferences, priorities, and communication style, consistent feedback will make the process seamless. Over time, your assistant will instinctively know which emails to prioritise, which they can manage independently, and which require your attention. This delegation not only saves you valuable time but also ensures smoother communication, allowing you to focus on higher-priority tasks and strategic decisions.

To sum it up…

Managing your emails effectively can make a huge difference in your productivity and stress levels. By setting clear goals, using time-saving techniques, and the right tools, you can stop feeling overwhelmed and start making your inbox work for you. As a business owner, getting on top of your emails is a game-changer for both you and your business.

So, why not start today and take back control of your inbox!