Spring Clean Your Email

Here's a shocking statistic for you: the average email user spends two-and-a-half hours reading, deleting, and responding to 147 messages. Here are some tips on how to keep your email in-box clean and organized from "It's Spring Cleaning Time for Your Email Inbox," in Business News Daily.

Avoid hunting for emails by utilizing the search function. This will save you time and frustration from wading through dozens--if not hundreds--of emails.

Turn off notifications on your phone and computer. Interruptions can, well, interrupt your brain's concentration. By not hearing that ping or buzz indicating an incoming text or message, you can concentrate on the task at hand.

Keep folders simple. Having too many folders can be overwhelming. Instead, set up the least amount of folders you need.

Clean your inbox. Don't keep old messages in your in-box. Either delete ones you have responded to or file the message in the appropriate folder.

Writer shorter emails. Don't let most emails go beyond five sentences. Brevity will be appreciated and probably responded to quicker than long missives.

Send messages at optimal times. Never send messages, especially important ones, at 4 p.m. Instead, try sending messages early in the morning.

Block out time for email. To avoid getting constantly sucked into email, set aside time throughout the day, such as an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon, to tackle incoming email.

Email has been a boon for home-based businesses, but the trick is to not let it consume our time. Following these simple solutions can help you keep your inbox clean and your email under control.

Until next time,
Sarah

Time Management

My September At Home News e-newsletter focuses on tips on managing your time, which is especially important when working from home. Distractions from housework, friends and children can derail our at-home work.

New subscribers to At Home News can be entered in a contest to win one of two free copies of my new ebook, HomeWork, which gives information about 50 real at-home jobs and businesses. The contest ends September 15, so sign up today at the newsletter tab.

Until next time,
Sarah