13 Ways Email Management Boosts Your Day-To-Day Productivity

If you’re like most people, your email inbox is a constant source of stress. You never seem to be able to keep up with the influx of messages, and you spend more time deleting emails than actually reading them.

This can cause a lot of productivity problems for your business. So in this article, we will discuss how to improve your email productivity and management so that you boost your day-to-day productivity!

The importance of email productivity

86% of professionals prefer to use emails for business communication. So it goes without saying that email is a critical part of most businesses, and it’s important to be productive when dealing with it.

Unfortunately, many people are not very email productive, which can lead to a lot of lost time and productivity. There are a few key reasons why email productivity is so important:

It can save you time

If you manage your email efficiently, you can save time that would otherwise be wasted. According to data, the average professional receives and sends 88 and 33 emails per day, respectively. So even if it takes you a minute longer to deal with each email, you could lose up to 2 hours of productivity each day!

It can improve your communication

By being more email productive, you can improve the quality and clarity of your communication with clients and customers. As we’ll see in the next section, learning how to write clear emails is crucial. Unclear communication can cost businesses up to $37 billion per year!

It can reduce stress

You’ll naturally feel more relaxed when you’re not struggling to keep up with your inbox. And as we all know, stress can harm our productivity. According to a study, work-related stress can cost businesses up to $600 per employee per year.

In addition, an estimate suggests that at least 75% of primary care doctor visits are somehow related to stress.

So those are just a few reasons why email productivity is so important — there are many more! Let’s now look at some tips on improving your email productivity (and stay clear of a doctor).

Tips for improving email productivity

You can do several different things to improve your email productivity, and we’ll discuss some of the most important ones below.

1. Set aside dedicated times for checking and responding to email

Checking your email constantly throughout the day can be a huge time waster. Instead, set aside a few dedicated times each day to check and respond to emails.

For example, you might check your email first thing in the morning, at lunchtime, and then again in the evening.

A notification-batching application can be a lifesaver if you check your email on your mobile phone. These apps block all your notifications and deliver them to you in batches. You can choose the number and timing of the batches, allowing you to receive email notifications when you like. Additionally, using an email verifier can enhance the efficiency of this process by ensuring that the notifications you receive are from valid and relevant sources.

2. Use an email management tool

While many email marketing platforms can help you prospect and reach out to people/organizations, none offer ways to manage the replies effectively. Email management tools, however, can be a great way to boost your productivity.

These tools can help you declutter your inbox, schedule emails to be sent at a later time, and more. They can also provide valuable insights into your email habits, allowing you to see where you can make improvements.

Consider using customer success software for your customer support efforts. These platforms give you a user-friendly environment to deal with all incoming customer requests in one place, so you won’t need to switch between your inbox and other platforms and lose focus.

3. Write clear and concise emails

Again, one element of being email productive is writing clear emails. That’s because good emails reduce the risk of miscommunication and eliminate the need for long back-and-forth email sessions.

When writing an email, always try to be clear and concise (50-125 words is the sweet spot). Write in short paragraphs, and use bullet points where possible. Avoid jargon, and don’t be afraid to edit your emails before sending them.

In addition, don’t hesitate to use emojis! There has been a growing acceptance of emojis in workplace communication lately, and they help clarify the emotional intent of your emails.

Perhaps the most well-known tool for writing clear emails on the market today is Grammarly. Its Google Chrome extension can help you edit your emails within your inbox, and it is one of the best Gmail extensions out there.

AI copywriting also helps you compose emails based on pointers. They can help you write more straightforward emails and reduce the time it takes to compose each message. So it’s a good idea to look into them. Be sure to implement an email signature where you can add your contact information and the necessary links.

4. Take advantage of templates

Replying to similar types of emails can be a huge time waster. Create a template if you find yourself sending the same type of email over and over.

You can use templates for things like:

• Meeting requests
• Status updates
• Approval requests
• Event invitations

Creating templates will not only save you time, but it will also help to ensure that your emails are clear and concise. Most email providers offer templates in one form or another.

If you’re unsure how to get started with templates, consider using a text expander tool. These tools allow you to create keyboard shortcuts for your most commonly used phrases. So, you can simply type a few keystrokes and have the entire email appear.

5. Spend less time finding email addresses

Finding your prospects’ email addresses can significantly hamper your productivity if you’re a marketer. Fortunately, there are many email finder tools on the market that can help you find email addresses with just a click, streamlining the process of email validation to ensure the addresses are up-to-date and valid.

Many of these tools also offer email enrichment, providing background information about your prospect. This can help you write better emails, close sales faster, and become more productive.

Strategies for managing your inbox

In addition to the tips above, there are several different strategies you can use to manage your inbox and boost your productivity.

1. Use the two-minute rule

The two-minute rule is a simple but effective way to deal with email. If an email takes less than two minutes to respond to, do it immediately. This rule can help you avoid letting small emails turn into time-consuming tasks. Another helpful tactic to effectively manage the SPF record checker is to avoid security threats.

2. Sort your emails

Sorting your emails can help you deal with them more efficiently. For example, you might sort them by the sender, topic, or date. Or, you might create a system where certain types of emails are automatically forwarded to specific folders.

If you’re using Gmail, set labels to organize your emails into different categories.

3. Unsubscribe from unnecessary emails

One of the best ways to declutter your inbox is to unsubscribe from any emails you don’t need. This includes promotional emails, newsletters, and other emails you don’t need cluttering up your inbox.

If you have a lot of subscriptions, manually undoing each of them can be almost impossible. In that case, a bulk unsubscribe tool can be beneficial.

These tools analyze your inbox and give you a list of websites you’ve subscribed to. You can then easily unsubscribe from unwanted publications with just a click.

However, there are some concerns about how these tools sell your data to advertisement companies. If that’s something unacceptable to you, you might want to avoid them.

How to reduce stress caused by email overload

As mentioned above, workplace stress is a major reason for doctor visits. And an overflowing email inbox can be a significant contributor to that stress. So, reduce the stress caused by email overload in addition to the tips and strategies described above.

Here are five ways to do that, among other productivity hacks:

1. Take breaks

When you’re feeling overwhelmed by your inbox, take a step back and take a break. Get up, walk around, or take a few minutes to clear your mind. This will help you return to your inbox feeling refreshed and ready to tackle your tasks.

You can also try the Pomodoro technique, where you take a 5-minute break every 25 minutes of work. There are many Pomodoro apps to help you use this technique, and it’s a good idea to check them out.

2. Set limits

One of the best ways to reduce stress is to limit how much time you spend dealing with email. For example, you might only check your inbox a few times per day, or you might only allow yourself to spend 30 minutes each day responding to messages.

3. Delegate

If you have many emails coming in, delegate some of the responsibility to someone else. This could be a virtual assistant, a colleague, or a family member. Just make sure that the person you’re delegating to is reliable and capable of handling the task.

4. Don’t be afraid to say no

One of the best ways to reduce stress is to learn how to say no. This applies to email as well. If you’re overwhelmed by your inbox, don’t be afraid to tell people you can’t respond to messages right away. This will help you manage your time more effectively and reduce stress in the long run.

5. Use a tool

You can use several tools to reduce stress caused by email overload. These allow you to temporarily pause your inbox, so new messages won’t come in until you’re ready to deal with them.

These can be very helpful but use them sparingly. If you’re constantly pausing and unpausing your inbox, it can add to your stress levels instead. So use these tools only when you feel overwhelmed and need a break from email.

Now you can be more email productive!

Email is an integral part of our lives, but it can also be a source of stress. Try these tips and see what works best for you. Using these simple techniques and strategies, you can improve your email productivity and reduce the amount of stress overload.