Ever opened your inbox and immediately considered faking a power outage so no one could reach you? Yeah, me too.

Email creep is real. One day it’s manageable, and the next thing you know, there are 1,247 unread messages glaring at you like a passive-aggressive roommate. You keep promising yourself you’ll “deal with it Friday,” but Friday comes and goes, and now you’ve got actual anxiety every time you see the Gmail tab.

Here’s the good news: You can fix this. And no, it doesn’t require some complicated productivity system or a monk-level vow to unsubscribe from literally everything. Just one focused hour can take your inbox from “flaming dumpster” to “mildly boring.”

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Step 1: Sort First, Don’t Read First

When you open your inbox, do not start reading.
That’s how you end up 37 emails deep, knee-deep in a thread from last October.

Instead:

• Create three folders: Action, Waiting, Archive.
• Scan each email and drag it into one of those buckets.
  • Action: Needs a reply, decision, or work.
  • Waiting: You’re waiting on someone else (don’t let it vanish in the pile).
  • Archive: Anything done, FYI-only, or reference.

This isn’t about replying yet. It’s about clearing visual clutter so you only see what matters.

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Step 2: Batch Your Replies (Twice a Day Max)

Constantly “checking email” is code for “never getting anything real done.” Instead, pick two time slots per day (e.g., 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.). Open the Action folder and reply, delegate, or delete.

Done. Shut it down. Go live your life.

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Step 3: Automate the Noise

If your inbox is overrun with newsletters, updates, and “we noticed you left something in your cart” emails, filters are your friend.

Set up rules so:

• Newsletters skip your main inbox (send them to a Read Later folder).
• Receipts and notifications land in Archive automatically.
• VIPs (clients, boss, key contacts) get flagged or starred so you never miss them.

This way, the only things staring back at you are the ones that actually need your attention.

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Bonus Tip: Canned Responses Are Your New BFF

If you type the same 3–4 replies every week (“Thanks for this! Here’s the link…”), turn them into saved templates. In Gmail, it’s literally called “Templates.” In Outlook, it’s “Quick Parts.” Copy, paste, tweak…done.

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One Focused Hour

That’s all it takes: sort, batch, filter. Your inbox will go from nightmare fuel to something you can actually glance at without feeling your blood pressure spike.

And here’s the kicker: Once you see how much calmer this feels, you’ll wonder why you waited this long.

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If You’d Rather Not Touch It at All…

Look, I get it. Even an hour of inbox triage can feel like too much when you’re already drowning. If you’d rather skip the whole thing, I’ll do it for you:

✅ 90 minutes
✅ Sorted, cleaned, and set up with simple filters
✅ Optional walkthrough so you can keep it that way

You focus on literally anything else. I’ll tame the inbox beast.

👉 Book an Admin Avalanche Dig-Out here