The Best Email Etiquette Hacks That Save Time and Maximize Productivity

You’ve got mail.  

When emails were first introduced, these three words were the reason for panic or giddiness. You responded to the message and went your merry way.  

These days the number of emails you receive per day has amplified. Mastering email etiquette hacks can simplify the process while helping you stay calm and collected.  

Otherwise, you’ll get stuck with a continuous email thread that takes over your life.   

So you might want to ask: 

Is there a way to manage your emails better?  

Streamline your inbox-based activities through efficient planning. Start by organizing your inbox and deleting unwanted subscription lists. Additionally, you can use handy email management tools to activate automated systems. These steps can save time, energy, and effort in handling online correspondences. 

This guide introduces you to actionable email etiquette hacks. Use them to cut the inbox clutter and constant chatter of your email notifications.  

Let’s get started.  

The Flaw in the Plan: How Much Time Do You Spend on Email? 

2.6 hours. 

According to Harvard Business Review, this counts as around 28% of your workday. They break it down further by estimating that you receive 120 emails each day. You then spend approximately 2.6 hours reading and responding to these messages.  

If you have multiple active accounts and a personal email ID, you probably spend an hour or two more scrolling through your inbox. It prevents you from forming a structured schedule to support a healthy work-life balance.  

Is Email Ruining Our Work Ethic (and Lives)?  

Emails are not a bad communication format. We just tend to use them recklessly. You spend hours sifting through your inbox by adopting bad habits. These include obsessing over notifications, sending lengthy emails, and refusing to declutter.  

The New Yorker states that “email makes us miserable” and turns humans into network routers. Our need to be always-on results in continuous interruptions. It doesn’t matter if we’re at work or home. Emails take away our focus from essential things.  

Studies discussed in the article suggest that unstructured email practices can induce burnout. You become compelled to address urgent queries and shoot important reminders after work hours. Remote working and different time zones support these routines.  

You can overcome this problem through intended intervention. Dividing time between work, play, and emails can make things manageable. It can then stop you from slipping into a never-ending stream of inbox messages.  

The Counter Strategy: How to Amp Productivity through Email Management?  

Stop scrolling and responding to every message.  Start sorting your inbox instead to regain control. Add specialized tools into the mix to take things up a notch. Use these email etiquette hacks to maintain your inbox without missing important messages.  

If you want to break away from the vicious cycle of endless emails, we can help. Use our email etiquette hacks to maintain your inbox without missing important messages.  

Here’s what you need to do: 

Tip 1: Start Decluttering Your Inbox   

The sight of multiple unread messages and an always-full inbox can leave anyone frazzled. Divide and conquer your email list by creating categories. Label them well and schedule small chunks of the day to check your inbox.  

Set a timer to ensure you don’t spend half the time on emails.  

How to Organize Your Inbox? 

Many email services have an automated system to arrange messages. It makes scanning your daily notifications hassle-free. Instead of going over individual messages, you can archive them in bulk. You can also hit snooze for emails that don’t need an urgent response.  

Other email management tips include:  

Make Separate Folders 

You can create dedicated folders or label emails based on their priority status, urgency, and source. For instance, social media notifications and promotions can be archived. You can keep them that way for unlimited time to declutter your main inbox.  

Schedule a Deep-Cleaning Session 

Go over your business correspondences and personal emails once a month. Determine whether they are useful or not. Delete unnecessary messages in your inbox, spam, and sent items list. Clear the spam account in one click to keep irrelevant content out of your digital space.  

Unsubscribe Irrelevant Messages  

We often subscribe to more newsletters than necessary because of their special incentives. Yet, three years down the line, you might not want to hear from the correspondent. Be brave and snip off those digital ties by hitting the unsubscribe button. Opt-out links help you remove spam messages and promotional emails.  

These steps can help free some space on your email account. Your inbox will feel less bogged down because of this practice.  

Tip 2: Streamline Your Emails in Real-Time  

Use a preview mode on desktop and mobile to go through the first few lines of the new email. Delete spam mail, snooze non-urgent messages, and reply to important emails. A quick look allows you to respond quickly and declutter your inbox simultaneously.  

What’s the Best Way to Streamline Your Email? 

Efficient email management requires you to set your priorities. Respond when necessary and learn to ignore unimportant messages without feeling guilty.   

Here’s a goal-oriented plan that can work for you:  

• Adopt the 2-Minute Rule for Faster Responses.  

Reply to urgent emails that require short responses for two-five minutes. This may depend on the length and requirements of your correspondence.  Send the remaining emails when you have more time.  

• Delegate Tasks to Free Your Time.  

You might be one of the primary recipients of a work thread that requires an update from another team member. Drop a quick reminder message requesting them to reply so that you don’t have to share a detailed update.  

• Implement Email Etiquette Hacks for Productivity.  

Use proper subject lines, intros, and labels to keep track of important email threads.  

Apart from this, you can create mini responses in the draft folder. Send the detailed message at a later date. Your brief notes allow you to reply to old messages right away. You don’t need to go over the original email again.  

Tip 3: Cut Down Time by Drafting Canned Emails  

You might often receive the same requests and questions from prospective clients or collaborators.  You can save significant time by creating default messages and templates to respond to those emails.  

Save the message in a specific folder to copy and paste messages in the body of your email.  Remember to customize the content to match the recipient's name and individual circumstances. 

How to Write a Canned Email? 

Choose a recurring theme in your correspondences, like a welcome message or project completion note. Then draft a generic email that shares valuable information with the recipient. End the email with your official signature and save the template in a relevant folder. 

You can customize the emails before sending them.  

Here are some suggestions for canned emails: 

• Write a welcome (or thank you) message to new employees/clients/collaborators  

• Draft follow-up messages as reminders (to complete forms, send relevant details, or complete payments)  

• Create a template for official onboarding guidelines 

• Type in project completion messages 

We strongly advise you to add placeholders. They help you fill the template with personalized information quickly and ensure you don’t miss any crucial details. Always double-check statements to prevent issues.   

Need more help? Watch how Ashlyn Carter wrote 30+ canned responses in a single day to stay on top of her email to-do list.  

Tip 4:  Use Email Management Tools to Boost Productivity Levels  

Email management tools use specialized software to handle large volumes of emails. These apps have built-in features to manage, sort, and even send bulk emails. Many service providers offer automated workflow systems.  

These advanced filters optimize the emailing process by tagging, arranging, and even sending emails according to account settings.  

What Are the Best Email Management Tools for Professionals? 

Our top picks for email management tools include Shift, Hiver, Front, and SaneBox. These tools handle business and personal messages without missing a beat.  

Here’s what they can do: 

• Shift synchronizes and sorts your emails from multiple accounts to give you access to important messages from a single space.  

• Front allows you to address internal, external, and personal communication with ease.  

• Hiver serves as a companion tool for Google to maintain shared inboxes and chats.  

• SaneBox uses AI to mimic your email management habits to sort messages according to individual interests instead of generic labels.  

Each tool offers something different to match your communication goals. Make the most of available free trials before picking the perfect software for your inbox. That way, you won’t have to pay for software that adds more chaos to the cluttered inbox.  

The Final Stop: Have You Mastered Email Etiquette Hacks Yet? 

The optimum email management system revolves around three things. You should know when to respond and opt out of useless lists. Also, you can use an automated filter to organize your messages. The new system will allow you to reduce inbox activities.  

As a result, you won’t have trouble focusing on other work-related responsibilities. Plus, you will find it easier to unplug after a busy workday.  

We hope that these hacks help you find the right work-life balance. They can indeed limit distractions and maximize productivity for most professionals. After a busy workday, you will find it easier to unplug and rest.  

Over and out.