Overwhelmed With Emails? Here’s A Smart Stress-Free Solution
Email communications are a normal part of business, but sometimes, the threads, constant updates, and other notifications can get the best of us. I looked up one day and found that I had a whopping 4,000 emails in my inbox, and that was just one of them. It can seem overwhelming to purge when you think you might need something for later, want to be sure you're replying to the correct thread, or want to have the ammunition you need to politely read someone who keeps trying to check you about something you'd already done.
So how do you get organized, get from under the stress, and take back the time you've spent constantly responding to requests, deleting emails to get more storage, or managing alerts? Here are a few tips that have helped me:
1. Categorize your emails and set filters so that it's easier to manage your inbox.
I only keep emails that require immediate action or follow-ups in my "Starred" category (Google) and move others to other categories. I'll also flag emails so that I have a visual of those I need to address either within a day to 72 hours. I've often found myself trying to answer every single email as soon as one comes in, even if I'm in the middle of another task or even if it's not urgent. That practice left me always feeling frustrated. It was as if I didn't have enough time in the day to do any real work.
Now, I categorize emails based on the sender, nature of the task, or department with the tools I have at my fingertips, and Google and Outlook both offer these options. You can also adjust filter settings to send emails to certain categories when they have certain words in the subject line or come from particular senders. (Here's a great how-to on creating filters and how to choose what works best for you.)
I'm also now big on the "immediate delete and decline" method where, if the subject line seems spammy, includes weird misspelled words, or is addressed to the wrong company or person, is something I know for sure I'm just not interested in, I immediately trash it. (You can always go back in your Trash inbox and restore it, but after 15 years of being an editor, I've become a master at this. Nine times out of 10, it was trash or a total waste of my time even reading.)
2. Schedule time to purge.
Before you get any more overwhelmed, schedule a purge day that's on your calendar. Add alerts and reminders if you need to. I had those 4,000 emails because I hadn't purged since 2017, so take my word for it: Start purging tuh-day. Block out time weekly or monthly to look through all the categories and get rid of email threads that are no longer relevant, that detail a project that's done, or that indicate deadlines that have long passed. Also, get rid of those inter-office gossip threads or everyday conversations you might have had with your work bestie.
If the email thread is more than one year old, consider getting rid of it. (If this is a work inbox, get to know your company's policies on record-keeping, information privacy, and document filing before doing this. If personal, go ham.)
Set a timer for taking care of a few emails or one category at a time so that you don't further overwhelm yourself sitting at a computer for hours deleting or archiving things.
Put those photos or graphic files on a USP zip or hard drive or, if you trust it, a cloud. (And be sure to have folders so that won't become yet another disorganized abyss that has you searching through for hours to find a photo from 2009---or is that just me?)
3. Turn off unnecessary notifications and unsubscribe from newsletters you don't even read.
The notifications were really a problem. I'd set up notifications for almost every chat platform every one of my clients or companies I worked with used, and it became not only annoying but also took over my inbox. Think to yourself, "Do I really need to get email notifications for Slack updates, or should I just download the app? Do I need to be notified every time I spend $1 on a candy bar, or should I just download my banking app or check my statement bi-weekly?"
Turn off the notifications settings for updates on any and everything that's not really urgent or for things that you could find other ways to stay on top of.
And if you're really not into those newsletters from every online store you shop at or your favorite R&B star, they need to go, too. Unsubscribe or simply bookmark important stories from their websites, follow their social handles, or invest in an RSS reader.
4. Set up a time limit for keeping old emails.
Google has an option (and so do others) where you can set a 30-day deletion limit on emails, and this is perfect for someone like me who hoards digital files. You can set it for emails that are a minimum of 30 days old, and they'll immediately go to your Trash inbox after the time you set.
5. Email templates are your saving grace, so create and use them.
Everyone's talking about AI writing research papers, responding to comments, and creating Instagram captions. Well sis, you are the AI in this process. Pre-written messages that you can simply send with the click of a button are the move.
If it's a process that will always require the same answer, something that uses the same communication steps, or it's a message that can apply to multiple things or for multiple situations, create a template. Google, Outlook, and many other information management platforms offer this option. You simply create one message that can be used consistently and save the template for when you need it.
A good time to use these is in response to frequently asked questions, when onboarding or welcoming new team members, sending emails regarding common practices or policies, or for sales pitches.
You can even create templates that are simple greetings, opening intros for when you're working with a new department or business partner, or for holiday greetings. Customize the names or applicable situations for each template before sending the emails out, and it'll save you a lot of time and brain energy. (And don't respond to every meeting request with just an email, by the way. Add your Calendly or other scheduling platform link.)
I often use templates for sending out invoices, hiring new writers, requesting to set up meetings, sending deadline reminders, or addressing process issues with folks who can't seem to follow directions. (Hey, why stress myself out? I simply send a pre-written step-by-step and call it a day.)
Taking a few steps today to organize your inbox and automate how you use it can save a lot of stress and wasted time cleaning up later.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by andreswd/Getty Images
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
You've Never Seen Luke James In A Role Quite Like This
Over the years, we've watched Luke James play countless characters we'd deem sex symbols, movie stars, and even his complicated character in Lena Waithe's The Chi. For the first time in his career, the New Orleans-born actor has taken on a role where his signature good looks take a backseat as he transforms into Edmund in Them: The Scare—a mentally deranged character in the second installment of the horror anthology series that you won't be able to take your eyes off.
Trust us, Edmund will literally make you do a double take.
xoNecole sat down with Luke James to talk about his latest series and all the complexity surrounding it—from the challenges taking on this out-of-the-box role to the show's depiction of the perplexing history of the relationship between Black Americans and police. When describing the opportunity to bring Edmund's character to life, Luke was overjoyed to show the audience yet another level of his masterful acting talents.
"It was like bathing in the sun," he said. "I was like, thank you! Another opportunity for me to be great—for me to expand my territory. I'm just elated to be a part of it and to see myself in a different light, something I didn't think I could do." He continued, "There are parts of you that says, 'Go for it because this is what you do.' But then also that's why it's a challenge because you're like, 'um, I don't know if I'm as free as I need to be to be able to do this.' Little Marvin just created such a safe space for me to be able to do this, and I'm grateful for everything I've been able to do to lead to this."
Courtesy
Them: The Scare, like the first season, shines a light on the plight of Black Americans in the United States. This time, the story is taking place in the 1990s, at the height of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. While the series presents many underlying themes, one that stands out is Black people and the complicated relationship with the police. "For the audience, I think it sets the tone for the era that we're in and the amount of chaos that's in the air in Los Angeles and around the country from this heinous incident. And I say it just sets the tone of the anxiety and anxiousness that everybody is feeling in their own households."
James has been a longtime advocate against police brutality himself. He has even featured Elijah McClain, the 23-year-old Colorado man who died after being forcibly detained by officers, as his Instagram avatar for the past five years. So, as you can imagine, this script was close to his heart. "Elijah was a soft-loving oddball. Different than anyone but loving and a musical genius. He was just open and wanted to be loved and seen."
Getty Images
Luke continued, "His life was taken from him. I resonate with his spirit and his words...through all the struggle and the pain he still found it in him to say, 'I love you and I forgive you.' And that's who we are as people—to our own detriment sometimes. He's someone I don't want people to forget. I have yet to remove his face from my world because I have yet to let go of his voice, let go of that being [because] there's so many people we have lost in our history that so often get forgotten."
He concluded, "I think that's the importance of such artwork that moves us to think and talk about it. Yes, it's entertaining. We get to come together and be spooked together. But then we come together and we think, 'Damn, Edmund needed someone to talk to. Edmund needed help... a lot [of] things could have been different. Edmund could have been saved.'
Check out the full interview below.
Luke James Talks Ditching Sex Symbol Status For "Them: The Scare", Elijah McClain, & Morewww.youtube.com
Featured image by Getty Images