Make the most of asynchronous conversations.

Emails kill productivity. They point your attention towards random tasks and distract you from focused work.
A McKinsey analysis showed we spend around 2.6 hours a day reading and answering emails. Data analysis from RescueTime revealed we check e-mails every 6 minutes.
If you spent the same time playing an instrument, youâd soon be a musician.
But for your inbox, the opposite is trueâââthe more time you spend on e-mails, the less effective you become. Thatâs why inbox-driven workdays are a source of anxiety and stress.
Luckily, there are quick fixes you can use to tame your inbox and reclaim your attention. Here are seven things that help you become an effective email manager and save you hours every week.
1) Donât use tags or folders
Managing your mail with folders is 9% slower than searching with keywords and 50% slower than searching for names.
When you archive your emails in different folders, you add an unnecessary step (deciding which and where to stare emails). Instead, use the search bar to find what youâre looking for (e.g., âfrom:hello@evakeiffenheim.comâ).
Donât create folders to deal with emails later. Instead, answer and archive directly, or reschedule the mail to reoccur in your inbox. Hereâs how it works for G-Mail.
2) Follow the single touch rule
Many professionals keep e-mails in their inboxes (200 on average). But even if you only reread the subject lines from some of them, your brain will restart thinking about the issues.
Re-reading e-mails equal brain waste.
Instead, have a bias towards action. When you read an e-mail, always archive, delete, reply, or reschedule. Donât let any mail you read linger in your inbox.
3) Anticipate the next move
As a project manager, checking your e-mails once a day for 20 minutes doesnât work. 90% of a PMâs work is communication.
I currently lead an entrepreneurship education project. On busy days, I receive 60 and send 50 emails (this doesnât include my personal and work e-mail account or replies to The Learn Letter).
This got me thinkingâââis there a better way to reduce e-mail volume and stop information overload? There is. Hereâs how.
Before you press âsend,â ask yourself which questions your recipient might have. Add the answers in your mail. When you anticipate your readerâs questions, you save time for both of you.
âTo RECEIVE less email, SEND less email.ââââJeff Weiner
4) Delete the mail app from your phone
I used to check my email when walking up the stairs and while waiting in a line. But unless youâre working for an atomic plant, nothing is so urgent itâd require your immediate attention.
When you want to build muscles, your body needs rest days. Your muscles recover, and your nervous system regenerates. The same goes for your brain.
To get maximum focus during your working hours, you want enough time away from work. Plus, boredom brings benefits.
Deleting the mail app from your phone will prevent you from disrupting your break time.
5) Pause your inbox for most of your day
Compulsive inbox checks donât go well with focused attention. Some reports suggest it can take people up to 23 minutes and 15 seconds to refocus after an interruption.
âYou canât get meaningful things done when youâre constantly going start, stop, start, stop.ââââJason Fried
I protect my focus is by using the pause add-on for Gmail. New emails only enter my inbox only during specific times. Alternatively, you can use BlockSite for Chrome to block your email provider during specific time frames.
Donât be among the workers who check their mail every 6 minutes. Installing inbox zero and scheduling dedicated e-mail response windows can help.
7) Create calendar invites with a single click
Even if you use a scheduling tool like Calendly or Chilipiper, creating calendar invites is sometimes inevitable.
Luckily, you can save a minute each time using this built-in Gmail feature that converts an email into a calendar appointment.
All you need to do is clicking on the three dots and select âCreate event.â Then, Gmail will distill the information from your e-mail and add them to the email fields.
7) Use Parkinsonâs Law to get more done in less time
According to Parkinsonâs Law, âthe work expands as to fill the time available for its completion.â You can use this principle for you.
Set a timer for 25 minutes and aim for inbox zero. Try to beat the clock. Repeat this twice or thrice a day. Making your email inbox a game against time will help you become more productive.
Final Thoughts
Sivanathan said in his TED Talk: âYou cannot increase the quality of an argument by simply increasing the quantity of your argument.â
In a perfect world, everybody would follow this rule, and email would be more concise.
But until weâre in our perfect world, you can use the tips from above to become more effective at managing your e-mails. Thereby, youâll save one hour every week.
Want to feel inspired and improve your learning?
Subscribe free to The Learn Letter. I read a book and 50 articles a week, and each Wednesday, youâll receive the best in your inbox. This newsletter will make you find tools and resources that help you on your path to health, wealth, and wisdom.