The average professional spends 28% of their workweek on email. That is more than 11 hours per week, or over 500 hours per year.
Email is necessary, but it does not have to consume your life. Here is how to take back control.
The Email Trap
Email feels productive. Every message handled feels like an accomplishment. But constant email checking prevents deep work—the kind that actually moves your business forward.
Most emails are not urgent. Treating them as such is a choice, not a requirement.
Strategy 1: Scheduled Email Time
Stop checking email constantly. Instead, designate specific times for email: perhaps first thing in the morning, after lunch, and before ending the day.
Turn off notifications between these times. The world will not end.
Strategy 2: The 4 Ds
When processing email, apply the 4 Ds to each message:
- Delete: If it does not require action, delete or archive it
- Do: If it takes less than 2 minutes, handle it now
- Delegate: If someone else should handle it, forward and forget
- Defer: If it requires more time, schedule it for later
Strategy 3: Templates and Canned Responses
If you type similar responses repeatedly, create templates. Most email clients support this natively or through extensions.
A library of templates can turn 10-minute responses into 30-second tasks.
Strategy 4: Unsubscribe Ruthlessly
How many newsletters do you actually read? Be honest. Unsubscribe from everything that does not provide consistent value.
Use tools like Unroll.me to clean up subscriptions in bulk.
Strategy 5: Use Filters and Labels
Set up automatic filters to sort incoming mail. Newsletters go to one folder, notifications to another, important messages to your inbox.
This pre-sorting means you only focus on what matters during email time.
Strategy 6: Write Better Emails
Clear, concise emails reduce back-and-forth. Include all necessary information upfront. Make your ask obvious.
Better emails from you mean fewer follow-up emails from others.
Strategy 7: Use Other Channels When Appropriate
Not everything belongs in email. Quick questions might be better as chat messages. Complex discussions might need a call.
Choose the right tool for the communication.
The Bigger Picture
Email is a tool, not your job (unless you are in customer support). Your job is to create value, and email should support that—not consume it.
Reclaim your time and watch your productivity transform.