6 Ways to Stop Letting Your Inbox Control Your Day

If email runs your life, you’re not alone. Most solopreneurs lose hours each week just trying to keep up with messages, and half the time, they’re not even important.

Here’s how to take back control of your inbox (without hitting “mark all as read” and hoping for the best. 😭

1. Set designated email times

Instead of checking email constantly, set specific windows, like once in the morning and once in the afternoon, to process your inbox.

2. Use filters and labels

Set rules so client emails go to one folder, newsletters go to another, and low-priority messages don’t clog your main view. Gmail and Outlook both make this easy.

3. Unsubscribe ruthlessly

If you haven’t opened a newsletter in two months, it’s probably time to let it go.

If you are using Gmail, you can simply click the Unsubscribe option that shows up at the top of the email by the sender's name.

4. Use canned responses

Answer the same questions often? Save yourself the repetition and set up templates for common replies.

5. Star what actually needs a response

Not everything needs your time. Star or flag only the emails that require a reply or action.

Another option, which I love to use, is to hit snooze and deal with it later! This way, it gives you time to think about your response and not feel pressured to respond immediately if it's not pressing.

6. Get help managing your inbox

This is one of the most common things I handle for clients. You don’t have to dig through 100 emails every day. I can filter, prioritize, respond, and flag what really matters, so that you can focus.