For many employees, email can be either a helpful tool or a total disaster. Although email has improved the ease of communication, a cluttered inbox can hinder productivity and frustrate users. this is especially concerning considering how essential email is to many jobs.
If you open your gmail inbox first thing each business day, you should know that it enables a productive workflow. When you streamline your inbox, you simplify your life, which is good for your career and your stress levels. here are 10 tips you can use to get your inbox under control.
1. change display density
A cluttered inbox can overwhelm you and cause you to miss important messages. Similarly, if you receive a lot of email, a low display density may not be enough. gmail offers three display densities to choose from: default, comfortable, and compact. you can switch between these display options by clicking the top right gear icon. choose the option that seems best to you.
2. use keyboard shortcuts
if you spend a lot of time in gmail, you probably get a lot of clicks. this can slow you down when responding to emails and cause time to slip through your fingers. Fortunately, Gmail supports a number of keyboard shortcuts. you can enable existing shortcuts in gmail general settings or enable custom shortcuts in advanced options if you prefer.
3. experiment with inbox settings
Your inbox settings determine how you receive your messages. Gmail comes with five different settings: Default, Important First, Unread First, Featured First, and Priority Inbox. Some settings, such as important first, rely on Google to determine which messages appear first in your inbox. others, like the featured first, give you a bit more control. experiment with different settings to see which works best for your needs.
4. disable notifications
Although email can be a big part of your job, it’s not the only thing you have to do. therefore, it is important to configure your email to support the approach. improve productivity by disabling notifications. Whether you check your email on your phone or at your desk, you’ll get more work done by checking your email at predetermined times, instead of answering every call from gmail. you can change notification preferences in general settings.
5. expand undo send
If you use gmail, you have the convenient ability to change your mind about a message after you send it using the “undo send” feature. this reduces the likelihood of sending unfortunate emails to your boss, clients, or other important contacts. take even more time to reconsider by expanding the send undo from the default value of five seconds to 30 seconds. you can find this option in the general settings of gmail.
6. block senders that hinder productivity
If you’re going through a lot of spam to get to important messages, save time by blocking annoying senders. When you receive a message from a nuisance sender, click the three dots at the top right of the message. then click “block” to send messages from that address directly to spam. if you want to stop viewing a conversation without blocking the sender, you can also choose “mute”.
7. organize with stars and icons
If you need a lot of visual organization cues, consider using the full set of gmail stars. In the general settings, you can turn on the full set, including five different colored stars and other eye-catching icons like exclamation marks.
8. use gmail plugins
gmail plugins allow you to access other important applications through your inbox. they can improve your workflow and allow you to complete small tasks more quickly. Some plugins currently available include Asana, Trello, and Intuit QuickBooks Invoicing.
9. hide unused tags
If you use a lot of labels to organize your inbox, finding the right one could slow down your workflow. hide old and unused tags via the tags tab in settings. here, you can choose to show or hide certain categories. you’ll still be able to access your hidden tags, they just won’t appear in your sidebar.
10. proactively select offline settings
Make sure you always have access to your inbox, even when you don’t have internet access, by proactively enabling offline mail in your gmail settings. When you use offline mail, you can read and compose messages offline, ensuring your workflow can continue without interruption.
make email work for you
Email is a big part of most people’s jobs, so it’s vital to make sure your email works for you and not the other way around. use these tips to optimize your gmail and start working better today.