You may not get 1500 emails each day. But if you’re close to the average, you’re spending time processing over 147 emails every time you’re at work. That accounts for 28 percent of your work week just to manage your inbox. A study by Manchester University found that paying constant attention to email could also be bad for your health. 

I've been using email as a vital part of my everyday life for over a decade. From sending communications to scheduling meetings and staying on top of customer support requests, I rely on email every day. But managing all those incoming messages can add up quickly. That's why I use several tools to help me manage hundreds of emails and make my inbox more effectively—allowing me to spend less time wading through emails each day.

How to manage email overload

No one likes that feeling when your inbox fills up as fast as you can manage it, nor that feeling when your inbox and it's overwhelming. I've found that my best way to manage my inbox and avoid email overload is with a four-step process: Inbox Zero, SaneBox, Follow-Up, and Reminders.

Inbox Zero 

The Inbox Zero method is a productivity strategy for managing email inboxes with the aim of keeping them at a zero or near-zero message count. The idea behind the Inbox Zero method is to reduce email-related stress and improve productivity by prioritizing and processing emails in a more efficient way.

The problem that I ran into with the Inbox Zero method is that it was still taking me away from my focus more often than I wanted. So I knew that I needed to add another layer to help me maintain a clean inbox. That's where SaneBox came in. 

SaneBox

SaneBox* is a productivity tool designed to help users manage their email inboxes more efficiently. The platform offers a range of features that can help users prioritize their email, reduce clutter, and stay focused on what matters most. One of the key features of SaneBox is its ability to automatically sort incoming emails based on their importance. The platform uses algorithms to analyze email content and sender behavior to determine which messages are most urgent and should be prioritized.

Another feature of SaneBox is its ability to create a separate folder for emails that are less important or that can be dealt with later. The platform offers a "SaneLater" folder where users can store emails that are not urgent but still need attention. This helps to reduce clutter in the main inbox and ensures that important messages are not missed.

SaneBox also offers a "SaneNews" feature that automatically sorts newsletters and other subscriptions into a separate folder. This helps to reduce inbox clutter and ensures that important emails from colleagues or clients are not buried under a pile of promotional messages.

The platform also offers a range of other features, including the ability to snooze emails and reminders, set follow-up reminders, and even schedule emails to be sent at a later time. 

Productivity consultant David Allen says that managing the flow of email is imperative to overcoming email overload:

Resist the temptation to send one-word messages such as “Thanks!” Don’t hit “Reply All” unless everyone needs to hear what you have to say. Don’t rely on email to make big decisions or to sort through complex issues, such as policy changes, that will warrant tons of back and forth. Know what is better handled face to face or by phone.

Follow-Ups

Here's where you'll start to see some big options. The follow-up method that works for me is to use a combination of SaneBox* and Trello. SaneBox has a built-in Reminders feature that works great. It nudges me to follow up on an email that I sent. But I also use a Trello Power-Up that allows me to send an email which then creates a new task inside of the board of my choosing. 

The idea here is that I can use Trello as intended, for overarching projects. The emails that I send, which then create tasks, are individual portions of the whole. They often will add context, rather than being something that's important enough to stand by themself. 

Reminders

I've tried a few different methods for reminders. I have used the Reminders app on my Mac, ToDoIst, Any.do and much more. The problem that I've always run into is that most of my reminders come from email, so it felt like they should stay inside of email. Once again, this is a place where SaneBox shines for me.

SaneBox reminders are a powerful tool. I use them for my follow-ups, but I also use them for daily actions. If I need to remember to call the auto repair shop on Tuesday, I send an email with the subject of "Call the audio shop" to Tuesday@sanebox.com. If I need it to be more specific, I can even do Tuesday.3pm@sanebox.com and I'll get the reminder precisely at 3pm. 

It feels a little bit like cheating to recommend the same service for multiple tasks. But honestly, using SaneBox feels a little bit like cheating at email productivity. So I suppose it's only fair.

Now that I've run you through my process, let's take a look at how I make it happen.

Prioritize Emails (and People)

When you're looking at your inbox, it's important to prioritize emails by importance. If there are emails that need immediate attention, respond to them first. Then move on to the next most important ones and so on until you've responded to all of them.

This also applies for time sensitivity: if an email has a deadline attached or needs a response soon, make sure you get back to the sender before then. Again, this is where I use the Reminders function of SaneBox, or add something to Trello.

Finally, keep an eye out for which sender sends the most emails. Yes, I do indeed prioritize people as well as the messages that they send. A business partner, for instance, is almost always going to get more priority than an outside vendor's cold email.

Create Folders

To manage my email, I use folders to organize my messages. I have one for each of my projects, one for each client, and another for all of the miscellaneous messages that don't fit into any other category. Whether you’re using an Inbox Zero method, or Inbox Infinity, folders are key. 

In addition to these main categories, there are several types of emails that I want to keep separate from each other: social media updates from clients (Facebook Messenger or Twitter), support requests from customers (Zendesk), and general questions about products or services (MailChimp). To keep these types of emails separate in my inbox without creating new folders every time someone sends me an email asking about something specific.

I have matching Trello boards for many of these, as well. So if something needs to get more attention than an email would warrant, I'll send it to Trello. This way, I can keep my inbox clean and free of clutter while still being able to have access to emails and their context when I need them.

Use Templates

Templates are a great way to save time and improve your productivity, templates can be used for emails that you send frequently, such as thank-you notes or follow-up emails. They can also be used to automate common processes, like sending out monthly newsletters or creating an invoice template.

I have a few tools that I use here. Most of my templates are saved in a folder, but I also have quick-response templates that I use through TextExpander. That way, when I'm answering the same question 20 times to different people, I can use a shortcut like ;respond instead of typing out an entire message.

There are a few different ways that you can get templates and use them. You can create your own with some simple formatting, or you can find pre-made ones online that you can download and use. I personally prefer to create my own. It's easy, and it allows me to customize the content so that it fits with my brand. I use a simple text editor like Notepad++ or TextWrangler, which are both free. I keep a folder full of these, and then rotate them into TextExpander as needed.

Schedule Time 

This is a big one. I know, I know--this one seems obvious and you're probably thinking, "Duh! Of course I schedule time for email! What kind of crazy person doesn't?" But I'm telling you, there are many people out there who don't do this. They let their inboxes get out of control because they don't set aside enough time to deal with them properly.

If your inbox is overflowing and taking up all of your mental energy (and physical space), then chances are good that some important messages are getting lost in the shuffle. It's easy to overlook emails when they're buried under hundreds of unread messages or ones that require immediate action but can wait until later on in the day. Setting aside dedicated time to manage your email is critical to making sure that you're not missing the important stuff.

If you've ever worked in an environment where email was king and there were constant reminders that you needed to check it or "reply ASAP," then it’s likely that this is what led to your inbox taking over your life. It's easy to get sucked into the vortex of checking, replying and managing emails when they're constantly in front of you. Scheduling time also helps to save your sanity in this regard.

Summary of how to manage hundreds of emails

I'd love to tell you that there's a simple, one-button method to handle the hundreds of emails that comes to me. But that's simply not the case. It has taken me some time to develop my methods, and I'm sure you'll find that some of it doesn't work as well for you. But my work life is immeasurably better now that I've managed to wrangle my email, keep myself on track, and not spend all day buried in my inbox.