If you are like most people, your inbox has doubled (or more) in size during this pandemic. If you sometimes feel overwhelmed by your inbox, here are some practices that will ease this stress.
Check your assumptions. Don’t assume you need to reply immediately to your manager or senior person. Ask your manager what his/her expectation is.
Reevaluate. Reevaluate the need to reply to a new email the same day, especially if it received at 5:30 pm.
Clarify deadlines. Instead of assuming that your manager needs something done immediately, ask her when she needs it. When someone sends an email, instead of dropping what you're doing to write a detailed reply, let them know when you'll get back to them.
Don't succumb to after-hours pressure. Ignore the inclination to respond to emails sent after hours, or even late on Friday afternoon. The person who sent the email as they were running out the door might not want a response during the weekend. If you don't reply until Monday, most people will understand — and they may appreciate your helping them with their boundaries.
Check email only four times a day. I know I’ve mentioned this before. I want to share it again because it is a life changer!