Email Etiquette: Handling a Busy Inbox

In both our professional and personal lives, we often receive a high volume of emails on a daily basis. On those days when your inbox is so full you are almost scared to open it, how should you handle the massive amount of inquiries that need a response? Here are my tips for managing a busy inbox!

1. Wait at least 30 minutes before checking your email in the morning
   • Help yourself to start the day on the right foot. No one wants to wake up and start answering emails right away. So, give yourself 30 minutes to get your day started without the distraction of technology. If there is a work or personal emergency that requires your immediate attention, you will get a phone call about it, not an email.
   • If you start answering emails, I am rather sure you will never be ready for work on time. Get yourself ready to conquer the day then go conquer!
2. Skim your inbox to find the high priority subjects
   • When you first open your inbox, start by looking through the recipients and the subject lines to ensure you read the high priority emails first.
   • Make a mental list of the priority of the rest of your emails and work from that point.
   • If you know it is junk mail, delete it.
3. Read your inbox emails and your written replies more than once
   • If you have an email that you know requires your undivided attention or further research, mark it is as unread and return to it once you have all the information you need. Nothing is worse than responding to an email and realizing you missed the key questions that needed a response or you left out the bulk of your reasoning and needed follow-up questions.
   • Read your reply more than once to ensure you hit the key points and your grammar, delivery, and thought process come across as you wish.
   • If you have an assistant or co-worker, ask them to proofread your reply if you are unsure about something.
   • If you are writing about a sensitive or emotional topic, write a draft response then step away from it for a while. Come back to it when you have thought about it more and then edit it. If you need to, do this a few times to ensure your email reads as you wish.
4. Unsubscribe to the hordes of advertisements you receive
   • Every store, news outlet, etc. wants you to be part of their listserv… It is OK to say no or to unsubscribe.
   • Keep the places/sources you regularly use and unsubscribe from those that simply clog your inbox with the daily/weekly reminders.
5. If you are going out town or will be unavailable by email, use an out-of-office automatic reply
   • Not only does this help to manage people’s expectations of when they will receive a response, it will also provide them with contact information in case of an emergency.
   • An example of a simple, yet effective out-of-office reply is:
     “Sir/Ma’am,

     Thank you for you for contacting me. I am out of the office without access to/with limited access to my email and will not return until Monday, 23 February. If this is an urgent matter, please contact my office (or specify a co-worker if he/she is taking over your work in your absence) at (xxx) xxx-xxxx.

     I look forward to speaking with you soon. Have a great day!”

6. Keep all your emails in archived/organized folders
   • You never know when you may need to reference an old email or find someone’s contact information.
   • Once you have responded to an email, move it into the proper folder. This will let you know you have replied to the email, reduce the number of emails in your inbox, and give you a place to look back to if you need to review a message in the future.
7. Some emails need an in-person or phone response
   • If you receive an email you know you need to respond to, but do not feel it is appropriate to respond via email or that a more in-depth conversation should be had, call the person or schedule a meeting to discuss the matter.
8. Have a technology curfew
   • Set a time for yourself when you put your phone/tablet/laptop away at night.
   • Do one final review of your inbox and ensure nothing urgent came in or that you missed anything from earlier in the day then turn it off until tomorrow! As I said about the morning email check, if there is a work or personal emergency that requires your immediate attention, you will get a phone call about it, not an email.
   • A lot of research has been showing exposure to blue-light (the light in tech gadgets) at night, prevents a good night’s sleep and reduces the amount of time you spend in REM sleep. A recent Washington Post article speaks to research on the matter.

I hope these tips help you to manage your busy inbox more successfully! Most importantly, remember everyone deserves a response, but be mindful of how and when you respond.

Sparkle On,

Alexandra

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