Useful Tip: Inbox Clean-Up

I think it’s pretty safe to bet that most people who use an email service receive some kind of spam message.  It could be forwards from friends of friends or it could be random ads for useless products.  Either way, we all receive messages that we don’t want.

I recently acquired a few good tips regarding this issue – filtering and unsubscribing.

In GMail, it is easy to filter messages.  Simply type in the filter name and parameters and it’s done.  With other email clients, it isn’t so easy.  If you are unsure if you can filter your messages, I would suggest doing a search and finding out.  Filtering your messages can remove a lot of junk right away.  No need to wait or cherry pick; it is filtered and processed accordingly.

Another way to reduce inbox clutter is to unsubscribe to all of the site-specific ads that come in that you never look at.  You probably bought one thing from Old Navy online and now you get at least three to four messages a week with news and updates.  For most emails from retail stores, you can click the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of the email.  This also works for social networking sites and other places where you need to log in to access data.

I used to get around 20-25 emails a day before I cleaned up my inbox.  Now, if I’m lucky.  I get 5.  With fewer emails, I have more time to do other things and have less distractions.  I suggest giving it a try.

Do you have any inbox clean-up tactics that you use?  If so, share with us in the comments!