How to Batch Process Emails
How to batch process emails for maximum productivity.
There’s nothing worse than returning from the weekend (or vacation!) and seeing the number of emails in your inbox. Unfortunately, sometimes the number is so high that it can become overwhelming, which causes you to avoid handling it altogether. The one process that has worked for me regarding email management is ‘The Five D’s.’
Do – The first “D” is for emails you can immediately address. If the email needs a response and you can write it in two minutes or less, just get it done. But, of course, two minutes doesn’t allow you to craft a thoughtful reply, so only take this approach for concise responses.
Delete – This should be the default option. Most email is pointless, and keeping those emails is a waste of time and space. Get rid of spam and stop letting it clog up your inbox. Ask yourself if you will ever need to see this email again. If not, drop it in the trash and move on.
Deflect – If you’re not the ideal person to handle this email, pass it over. Delegation is not just for managers. Delegating can be challenging, but if someone else can do a task 80% or more than you, give it to them. A helpful phrase is “there’s no need to CC me going forward,” which helps reduce the traffic in your inbox.
Deposit – If the email contains valuable information, file it. Create folders for essential projects and topics. Then, stuff it in the Misc folder we made earlier (or archive it in Gmail).
Defer – If you need to do some thinking (or some actual work) before replying, or if the email takes more than 3-5 minutes to respond, create a TODO list item. Then, file the email so that you can refer to it later. If an email requires deferral, move it out of your inbox and into a “parking lot” folder.
Everyone wants an empty inbox. Using this method, you can achieve that. You have to live outside your inbox and make deliberate decisions with your time.
It doesn’t matter how many emails you have; you can use the Five D’s to batch your inbox in 30 minutes or less. I highly suggest giving this a try whenever you leave the office for an extended time.
5 Tips for Maximum Productivity While Working From Home
While I’ve been working from home for the last seven years, I’ve found that a lot more people were thrust into this world since last March, and they’re lost. Working from home SOUNDS excellent, but in reality, there is a lot of adjustment that has to take place for one to be productive. So here are five tips for maximum productivity while working from home.
Schedule Regular Breaks - This step is imperative when working from home. I suggest taking 15-minute breaks at least 2-3 times during your workday. Make sure you’re not just sitting at your desk all day, as that’s not healthy for your mind or body. In addition, you should attempt to stand up at least once an hour to get your blood circulating. Try setting an alarm to go off every hour so that you can stand up and stretch.
Have a Set Schedule - Please don’t go through your day aimlessly and without a schedule. There’s just no way you can be productive this way. There are so many planners out there where you can map out your day by the hour. Even better than that, you can use your Google Calendar or Sheets to create a set schedule as well. The bottom line is, know what you’re doing and when you’re going to do it.
Keep a Dedicated Workspace - Most people weren’t prepared to work from home when the pandemic started, so they didn’t necessarily have a workspace at home. I’m here to tell you that you need a dedicated workspace if you’re working from home regularly. This will help your work-life balance big time. It helps to separate the two and gives you breathing room. I’d also advise you to keep the office space out of your bedroom. Trust me when I say that it will affect your sleep even if you don’t think so.
Set Boundaries - Make sure that the people in your life know that you’re working and the time frame you’re doing so. Some seem to think that working from home means that you’re not working, which can affect your productivity if you don’t know how to say “no.” Set your work hours and stick to them.
Don’t Be Hard on Yourself - Let’s be honest here; working from home isn’t easy. The adjustment from being in the office can disrupt your productivity. However, you must be good to yourself and stay positive despite the adversity. If there’s a moment when you’re struggling, step away from work and take deep breaths. I promise there’s no such thing as perfect, and you’re going to figure it all out in time. Just stick to the tasks at hand and keep trying.
What are some things that you’ve implemented since you began working from home? Let me know in the comments!
4 Ways to Increase Productivity
We all strive to have super productive workdays, but it doesn't always go that way. Most people aren't effective because of bad work habits or working on whatever comes their way throughout the day. In addition, no structure can sometimes cause a person to lose confidence in their abilities. While the solution to becoming more productive is simple, it's not always easy. Follow these four tips on increasing productivity and becoming your best, most productive self at work.
Eliminate Distractions - I've found that this can be the hardest thing for most people to do. Whether it's Instagram or another app on your phone, it's so easy to get distracted from your daily tasks. It's important to know what your distractions are so that you can eliminate them. The funny thing is, email can be a distraction as well. Setting those admin hours is vital when it comes to focusing on the work you need to do daily. I would highly suggest turning off all notifications on all technology so that you can have total concentration. Allow yourself 15-minute breaks where you can take a peek at your notifications or brown Instagram. But don't allow yourself to go overboard.
Handle Hardest Tasks During Optimal Hours: This one is tricky because no one can tell you WHEN to do the most demanding tasks. It depends on when you are at your best. If you're a morning person, like I am, you want to start with the heavy hitters in the morning. But if you're a night owl, it's best to stagger your work and handle the delicate items in the earlier half of your day.
Stop Multitasking - Multitasking can be a productivity killer, and trust me, that's not something you want to happen. I recently read that research shows that productivity can be reduced by 40% by the mental blocks created when people switch tasks. So it's essential that you stop trying to do everything at once and instead give your full attention to one task at a time.
Make To-Do Lists the Night Before - While this may sound simple, it's one of the most important things that you can do to help you increase your productivity. So often, we spend the majority of our morning mapping out what needs to get done. Unfortunately, what this does is decrease your work time and set you back. So spend the last 20-30 minutes of your workday writing down what needs to get done the following day in order of importance. That way, you can hit the ground running the moment you get in the office.
These four productivity tips have helped me so much over the past year. If you're someone who struggles with feeling like they're getting anything done daily, implementing these tips will make everything a little easier.
Comment below and let me know what works for you or what you're planning on doing to help increase your productivity.