Whether you are a business professional or a full-time student, it is important that you stay up to date on your email inbox. Dealing with a high-volume email account can be stressful, and you don't want to miss any deadlines or opportunities by checking it too late. Here are some tips on how to stay productive with your email.
Have a set schedule for when you will run through your emails. Staying consistent on when to check your emails throughout the day can help keep you organized and confident in work and school. Here is a sample schedule:
8 a.m. - before work or your first class
1 p.m. - after lunch
4 p.m. - before the end of the workday
Decide what to do with an email once you open it. You can process your email to zero with these 4 decisions:
1. Delete (or archive)
2. Delegate - Move the email to your "Waiting On" Folder
3. Do - Only if it will take less than 2 minutes
4. Defer - Convert it to an action - Add to your to-do list and move it to your "To Do" folder
Make sure to keep your work, school, and personal emails separate. Receiving unnecessary messages in the wrong email account may not only cost you time but also your job if your employer can track your work email account. You also should not have a random company's emails mixed in with emails from your professors.
For more information on how to keep your inbox at zero, check out this Google Tech Talk featuring American writer, blogger, and podcaster Merlin Mann: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9UjeTMb3Yk
More details at: https://business.unl.edu/current-students/business-career-center/