2024-08-05 09:58:38
Imagine, email has been around since the beginning of computing. And I remember that with the low storage capacities of the time, cleaning up emails, software and files was necessary to not saturate disk space.
But today, a 5GB mailbox of emails that have accumulated over the years in your system has become commonplace – making the task of elimination even more daunting.
Studies have shown that digital clutter can hinder productivity in the same way that a messy desk can.
So here are some tips and steps to follow to free up your email (Apple Mail, Gmail or Outlook) before it becomes unmanageable.
1- Move all your emails into one folder
So the first step is simple: start from scratch. Drag and drop everything into a folder where you can then sort through it. Why not use the inbox? That way, the emails you receive during your cleanup won’t interrupt your email cleaning process.
Here, think about your ideal inbox. The goal of cleaning isn’t to define what you want to get rid of, but what you want to keep.
2. Ask the five-year question
When was the last time you needed a five-year-old email?
If your answer is “never,” continue down to four years, two years, etc., until you reach a time range that you are comfortable with storing.
Then archive or delete all those emails older than that time range.
3. Reduce your email folder system
Are long-unused folders still worth taking up space? The more layered and complicated your folder system is, the more spaces you create where you bury emails that you should simply delete. A sort of oblivion directory.
4. Four essential files
- Inbox: The most important folder you can have! Messages should be kept here for a short period of time before being replied to or filed away in a new folder.
- Today: A folder for everything that requires a same-day response.
- This week: for all emails that need to be answered during the week.
- FYI: Emails containing information that you can view, but that do not require a response.
5. Choose one or two keywords to make the deletion process easier
In the search box, type one or two words present in emails or the email address that are no longer useful. You will quickly know what to do with the list that comes out. There are probably press releases, reminders or updates that are out of date.
6. Look for newsletters you’ve been ignoring
If, after reading them, they have not been deleted immediately, the newsletters are piling up in your email boxes. Do you still need them? Are they still of interest? If not, delete them and unsubscribe from them.
7. Go through your read emails starting from the bottom
The final step in cleaning out your Apple Mail, Gmail, or Outlook inbox is to tackle the remaining read emails. These are the oldest, so they’re the easiest to get rid of. And if some of them haven’t been answered, your correspondents have probably forgotten about them too.
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