Inbox: 1035 messages
Yeah, that is the actual number in my email inbox right now. All of them have been read, however, they are just left out in the open because I have something I like to call "Email Hoard Syndrome (EHS)".
It all started my freshman year of college when I decided that email was actually going to be important. After all, it was my main source for communication between professors and organizations I was involved in. Since then, email has become even more important.
I have developed a really bad habit of keeping emails in fear that if I delete a message, I may need it again some day and I won't be able to retrieve it. This obviously isn't true because I have gone to my trash before and retrieved emails I "happened" to delete. I just can't shake the feeling I am going to miss something important--so I always try to keep my emails in the same area (which is such a bad idea).
I am going to give advice to others that may be suffering from EHS. I should have taken this advice a long time ago, however, I am still working on this very task.
- Create folders for different organizations/subjects: This will make life so much easier for you and plus you can keep emails related to that specific subject for future reference without cluttering your Inbox.
- Delete pointless advertising emails: You know those emails, the ones you KNOW you won't ever read again but you may need to (or so you think). Just delete them, if you really need them--you can go back to it in the trash folder later.
- Check your email often: The more you check your email, the more you will be able to keep up-to-date on the emails you receive. The more emails I have, the more tempted I am to just click on them and leave them in Inbox. Don't do it--put them in FOLDERS!
Take my advice, it will really help you in the future! Plus, you won't spend hours trying to find an email from way back six months ago.
Do you have any advice for email hoarders like myself? Share it with me!
Is EHS a real problem? That is crazy! I know that I keep almost all of my emails. Even simple emails to and from professors that I should really delete. I've learned that folders are my best friend, and I've even ventured out far enough to delete the folder of the classes I took several semesters ago. It is a great feeling when I can clean out my mailbox! Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteI think I'm going to self diagnose myself with EHS. My gmail account almost has 3,000 emails. This is sad I know, but I just never erase my emails after I read them. I think I need to take a day to clean out my account or just create a new email and start from scratch. I check my email several times a day, but I will try and take your advice and delete all of my pointless emails. Thanks for this post!
ReplyDeleteFolders are your best friend! I have 17 different folders in which I separate my emails. As long as you stay up-to-date and regularly separate your emails I feel your EHS will subside! Also if you are constantly deleting emails from a particular sender (referring to your "pointless advertising emails") just unsubscribe from them. You'll be amazed at how much less annoyed you'll be when you unsubscribe from a couple places.
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