Comments on: 4 Good Habits To Save Yourself (And Others) From Inbox Hell

By: Ralph

Ralph — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 23:09:34 +0000

I’ve learned that replying quickly clears my head. When I open an email and its not a priority email, and then I go to the seemingly most important, I rarely get back to the other ones in a timely manner. But when I open then reply, it frees me to spend time on the more important ones.

Thanks for the tips.

By: Priyanka D

Priyanka D — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 07:20:37 +0000

Good tips! I closed down my email notifications from social networks… however they still keep popping up from Facebook. I guess some emails you just cant get rid of!

By: Shane

Shane — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 18:11:43 +0000

Thanks for this post, I found some useful and novel info here. I actually most like your last point about using email alternatives. I hope that the medium will evolve or be replaced with something better soon. Twitter is too spammy for me and Facebook too gossipy, so I’m still waiting for the right tool!

One thing I do that I simply don’t have to is leaving Thunderbird running most of the time. I should only start it and download new emails when I know I have some time to organize and answer them all.

By: Jens Berget

Jens Berget — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:57:28 +0000

I’m using two awesome tools for Apple Mail, that’s MailTags and MailAct-on. They’re both great when it comes to creating rules and moving messages to various folders (both automated and manually by using shortcuts). I’m also using Spam Arrest in order to protect me from spam. It works great, I receive close to zero spam. I think it’s important to find useful tools to help you manage your email.

By: James

James — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:13:36 +0000

Piaras, thanks for your extra suggestions. I particularly like the one about how email is a crude form of communication. I’ve never really thought of it that way but you’re actually right.

By: Piaras MacDonnell

Piaras MacDonnell — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:10:10 +0000

Here are some additional suggestions that have worked for me:

Separate private and business email accounts. Don’t mix your email. You get to inbox zero faster and you check different accounts (contexts) at different frequencies – private once a day, business every two hours.

Use labels or categories not folders. Search is easier and you can file faster. Examples would be “Processed”, “Exceptions”, “Follow Up”, etc.

Refresh every ninety minutes, not the default five. It reduces the conversation affect and blocks recieved mail into manageable chunks.

And the final tip, use the phone if you can, especially for important messages. Email is a crude means of communication and does not convey enough emotion.

By: James

James — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:11:49 +0000

Julian, if leaving emails till later is a problem to you than the answer is certainly to do them straightaway. Personally, I process them in bulk as and when there enough to warrant my time and energy. It’s about what works for you.

By: Julian

Julian — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 05:13:16 +0000

Great points. My main thing is to process emails the first time I read them. Sometimes emails end up sitting in my inbox for ages and I look at them several times thinking that I’ll get onto it later. Of course it’s way easier just to do them there and then wherever possible rather than letting it drag on.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:47:26 +0000

Great post, especially regarding the replying bit. Good email management can really help a person in so many ways. Your article reminds me of a similar post I made recently. I am interested in hearing your thoughts on it!

By: James

James — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:22:55 +0000

Interesting idea Stefan. My main issue would be that it’s still another account you need to worry about regardless of whether you’d use it or not. It’s still dealing with the symptoms and not the cause.