your inbox does not have to be an active warzone.
An email inbox isn’t really an email inbox until it contains 500+ unread messages, subscriptions to countless unnecessary websites, and a bunch of old strings of responses and replies. So, why do we do this to ourselves? Having excessive emails doesn’t really hurt us, right? We’d like to argue that it does.
Emails are, seemingly, never-ending. From advertisements, conversations, and newsletters – our inbox should not have to be another source of stress – but it is. Business Insider interviewed psychologist Ron Friedman and he shared that “each message represents another demand on your time and another decision you have to make… [leaving] less energy for work that matters”.
Additionally, all of those emails actually do have a physiological effect – a study of people and emails showed that when limiting email use in a week, participants experienced significantly lower daily stress than during the normal email usage week.
Sources of stress should include being late or forgetting something at home – not your email inbox. Imagine an inbox with zero unread messages and only newsletters and companies that you actually enjoy. I used to have thousands of unread messages but believe me, it’s possible.
Here are 4 ways to make your email inbox an enjoyable experience.
1) Set specific times for email
Part of the reason email inboxes can be so daunting is due to the sheer amount of notifications constantly popping up throughout the day. In fact, a 2015 case study by ScienceDirect showed lower levels of stress and better overall well-being and performance at work. Experts even went as far as to say “constantly checking email is bad for both productivity and quality of life”.
2) Remove email notifications from your phone
By checking email on your own terms you’ll regain a sense of control when checking your inbox. Instead of receiving a spike in blood pressure when feeling the vibration of an email, you’ll be much more at ease. Fewer notifications also allow you to focus more on the task at hand without being distracted from the tasks at hand.
3) Use a clean inbox service like Unroll.Me
Unroll.Me is perfect for unsubscribing from all of the awful companies and newsletters you never wanted to be a part of! Unroll Me lets you choose what you’d like to keep in your inbox, unsubscribe from, or add to your own personal ‘rollup’ which is a condensed email of the emails of your choice. I utilize this website monthly to ensure that my inbox stays fresh and clean!
4) Sign up to newsletters you actually enjoy
One of the best parts of an enjoyable email inbox is actually enjoying the content sent to you. Personal recommendations include subscribing to funny newsletters, unbiased news, and businesses you actually shop at. One of the best newsletters to subscribe to is The Muse – they consistently send relevant articles to read that helps people develop professionally.
From cleaning your inbox to signing up for emails you actually enjoy – that’s how you make your email inbox fun to use. Have any other tips or tricks to make email more enjoyable? Let me know in the comments below!