Is Clean Email a Unicorn? We Don't Think So. Here Is How to Achieve It.

Are by any chance constantly receive that "Your storage is 95% full" message?

It means you are also dreaming of a clean email, but never mustered the determination to do something about it. Well, you are in luck, below you will find a comprehensive set of actions that will enable you to achieve a clean email and successfully declutter your Inbox and get back precious moments each day.

If you believe it or not, there is even a name for this movement and it is also called Inbox Zero.

1. Delete (old) emails with (large) attachments.

I know you are holding on to your three-year-old utility bill. But that’s fine. We can show you how to easily get rid of some of those.

To select and delete emails with attachments over 2MB from your Gmail inbox, start by using Gmail's search functionality. In the search bar at the top of your Gmail interface, type has:attachment larger:2M and press Enter. This command filters your emails to display only those with attachments greater than 2MB. Review the search results to ensure they include the emails you want to delete.

If you have many results, you can further refine the search by adding keywords or specifying a date range, such as after:2022/01/01 before:2023/01/01, to narrow down the emails further.

You can directly copy and paste the statement below to select the emails with an attachment of over 2MB that are older than 1st August 2023

Clean email search syntax: in:anywhere has:attachment larger:2M before:2023/8/1

Once you have filtered your emails, you can select and delete them. Click the checkbox at the top left of the email list to select all the emails on the current page. If you want to select all matching emails, click the link that appears to select all conversations that match the search.

After selecting the emails, click the trash can icon to delete them. To ensure the emails are permanently deleted and free up storage, navigate to the "Trash" folder on the left-hand sidebar and click "Empty Trash now."

This action will permanently delete the selected emails, freeing up space in your Gmail account.

2. Organise Categories

Utilizing existing Inbox categories in Gmail is a straightforward way to begin organizing your emails, which can significantly enhance your concentration and mental well-being.

Gmail's default categories — Primary, Social, Promotions, Updates, and Forums — automatically sort your emails based on their content. This pre-sorting reduces the need to manually sift through numerous messages, allowing you to focus on the emails that matter most.

To customize these categories, click the gear icon in the top right corner, select "See all settings," and navigate to the "Inbox" tab. Here, you can check or uncheck the categories you want to use, tailoring the system to your needs.

By streamlining your inbox, you reduce visual clutter and minimize distractions, which can lead to improved focus and productivity.

Clean email hint: If you have more than 250,000 emails in your inbox, you can’t turn on inbox categories. To get below the limit, delete or archive your emails as per the above recommendations.

Creating custom labels further enhances email organization and contributes to a cleaner, more manageable inbox.

To create a new label, go to the left-hand sidebar, scroll down, and click "More" to expand the menu. Click "Create new label," enter a name for your label, and click "Create." Labels can be nested under existing ones to create a hierarchical structure. Apply labels to emails by selecting them, clicking the label icon at the top of the inbox, and choosing the desired label.

For even greater efficiency, set up filters to automatically label incoming emails. Go to "Settings," then "Filters and Blocked Addresses," and click "Create a new filter." Define your criteria and choose "Apply the label" to automatically sort incoming emails. This system keeps your inbox organized without constant manual intervention.

Maintaining a clean email inbox is not just about organization; it has significant benefits for your mental well-being. A cluttered inbox can be overwhelming, causing stress and reducing your ability to concentrate on important tasks.

By categorizing and labeling your emails, you create a more serene and structured environment. This organization reduces the mental load associated with processing information, allowing you to approach your emails with a clear mind.

Consequently, you can focus more effectively on your tasks, leading to increased productivity and a sense of control over your digital space. The clarity and order of a well-maintained inbox can translate into a calmer, more focused mind, ultimately enhancing your overall mental health.

3. Star reputable senders and Block Spammers.

Starring select emails in Gmail enhances user experience by allowing users to quickly identify and access important messages. The star feature adds a visual marker to emails, making them stand out in the inbox.

This can be particularly useful for keeping track of high-priority emails, such as important work correspondence or urgent personal messages, without the need for complex sorting or searching. By starring emails, users create a streamlined method for prioritizing their inbox, which helps maintain focus and reduces the time spent managing emails.

This simple yet effective tool contributes to a cleaner, more organized inbox, allowing users to stay on top of their most critical communications.

Clean email hint: When you star an email, it appears in your “Primary” category and remains in any category they were already in. Learn how to star emails.

Adding important senders to Google Contacts further refines the user experience in Gmail by ensuring that emails from these senders are easily identifiable and accessible. When an email from a contact arrives, it is often flagged with the contact's name and photo, providing instant recognition and making it easier to find amidst a crowded inbox.

Additionally, Google Contacts allows for the organization of senders into groups, which can be used to filter and manage emails more effectively. This organization helps prevent important emails from being overlooked and ensures that communication from key individuals is prioritized.

Together, starring emails and leveraging Google Contacts create a more efficient and user-friendly email management system, contributing to a cleaner inbox and a more focused and productive email experience.

Clean email hint: When you add a sender to your contact list, it tells Gmail you’re getting email from someone you know.

4. Unsubscribe from unnecessary emails

Unsubscribing from mailing lists in Gmail can be accomplished easily using several built-in functionalities, ensuring a more streamlined and clutter-free inbox.

One method is using the "Unsubscribe" link that Gmail provides at the top of emails identified as part of a mailing list. When you open such an email, you will often see an "Unsubscribe" button next to the sender’s address.

Clicking this button will prompt Gmail to initiate the unsubscribe process, removing you from the mailing list without the need to search for a link within the email content itself. This feature saves time and simplifies the process of managing unwanted newsletters or promotional emails. However, there are cases when the company sending the message does not always follow your wish.

Alternately you could be subscribed to multiple mailing lists from that company and sometimes multiple “Unsubscribe” actions are required before you can reach a clean email.

Another method for unsubscribing from mailing lists in Gmail is using the "Block" or "Filter" options. If you continue to receive emails after attempting to unsubscribe, you can create a filter to automatically delete these unwanted emails.

To do this, click on the three vertical dots in the top-right corner of an email and select "Filter messages like this." In the filter settings, choose to delete or archive these emails automatically. Alternatively, you can block the sender by selecting "Block Sender" from the same menu, preventing any future emails from reaching your inbox.

This however takes some time, especially if you have never done it and you are subscribed to lots of newsletters.

If you want to save big on time you can also use a service like AgainstData.com to clean your email.

The application will go trough your Inbox and identify all of the mailing lists and companies that hold your data. You can then choose to unsubscribe from their newsletters and make sure they do not bother you again.

5. Tactically send data deletion requests

Sending deletion requests to companies that continue to send you emails after you have unsubscribed is an effective strategy for maintaining a clean email inbox and minimizing distractions. When you formally request the deletion of your information from a company's database, you are exercising your rights under data protection laws, such as the GDPR in Europe or the CCPA in California.

This action compels companies to not only stop sending you emails but also remove your data from their records. By ensuring that your details are completely erased from their systems, you significantly reduce the likelihood of receiving unsolicited emails in the future, contributing to a more streamlined and clutter-free inbox.

Having fewer unsolicited emails means you can focus more on important messages and tasks, improving your overall productivity and reducing stress. Persistent unwanted emails can be a major distraction, pulling your attention away from essential communications and daily responsibilities.

By taking proactive steps to ensure these emails are permanently stopped, you create a more manageable and organized email environment. This not only saves time that would otherwise be spent sifting through junk mail but also enhances your mental well-being by reducing the annoyance and frustration associated with dealing with constant interruptions from unwanted messages.

In order to send a data deletion request you need to know who you want to send it to and you can use one of the publicly available data deletion templates.

For very fast one-click data deletion requests you can send the deletion request with just one click from the AgainstData.com application and save the time to research the company, their privacy email and having to edit an offline template.

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Photo credits: Serhii G. from Pixabay