How to Achieve Inbox Zero

If you are reading this you, like so many others, probably have a ton of stuff in your Inbox that kind of lacks any real value and eats up your productivity each day.

The very fact that you are searching how to achieve Inbox Zero is a big step in the right direction, because it means you are taking the first step towards fixing the problem: acknowledging it and seeking to get informed.

And so begins our journey into the enchanted land of empty inboxes and organized email management. In the following guide, you too will discover how to reach Inbox Zero and what are the secrets to taming your inbox, reducing stress, and becoming the master of your digital domain by using unsubscribe, deletion requests and other tips and tricks.

Ready your mouse and prepare for adventure!

Step 1: Make this a goal and allocate (some) time and energy to pursue it

Like anything worthwhile in life, this too will require a small amount of effort. Making a personal goal out of achieving Inbox Zero involves setting clear, actionable steps and maintaining consistent habits to manage your email efficiently. For me it works best if I imagine the benefits, achieving such a goal would bring. The way I approached this was by measuring time. I measured how many seconds it took for me to delete all the unwanted spam pilled up in the last day.

Normally I would run at about 20-30 unwanted messages each day that took me around 3-5 minutes each day. It was easier to delete the “regular suspects” meaning newsletters that I was seeing every day but was never actually reading … ever. But then it got a little more difficult as new and different companies were beginning to attempt to communicate with me and these were harder to distinguish from my day to day “useful” conversations.

Step 2: Best time was 20 years ago, second best time is now. Get started today.

From time to time, I used to ponder my life choices and how exactly I ended up losing up to five minutes each day on absolute nonsense, just deleting spam email and some legitimate newsletters that I simply was not consuming anymore.

Well, the simple answer is that people change, and I was no exception. One of the most interest newsletters I subscribed to when I was in my early 20s was a gaming newsletter with the latest and greatest releases, communities and walkthrough guides. Over the years I read this less and less but kept the subscription going for “when I would have the time”.

The truth is online games simply were not that attractive to me in the present, but I kept the newsletters as a nugget of nostalgia that now costs me 5 clicks a day.

This is a very straightforward example that your email needs to reflect your (current) interests and interactions, and not be a museum of all of the stuff you used to be interested in at one time in your life. So, my advice to you is to shake off the nostalgia and get to cleaning! …. Your Inbox I mean.

Step 3: Email noise suppression trough unsubscribe

A notable benefit of unsubscribing from emails is the reduction of digital clutter. Just as a cluttered physical space can lead to stress and inefficiency, a cluttered inbox can have similar effects on your mental well-being. By eliminating unwanted emails, you create a cleaner, more manageable inbox that reduces the feeling of being overwhelmed. This simplification allows you to quickly find and respond to important messages, saving tons of time.

Unsubscribing from emails can lead to enhanced data privacy and security. Many unsolicited emails come from sources that may not handle your personal information responsibly. By unsubscribing from these sources, you reduce the risk of your email address being shared or sold to third parties, which can help protect you from phishing attacks and other security threats. Taking control of your inbox in this way empowers you to safeguard your personal data more effectively.

To learn more about what are the different ways to unsubscribe we’re written a comprehensive guide to unsubscribe that will inform you on what is the best way for you.

Step 4: Use tools and techniques and monitor progress

I am personally a big Excel fan, but on the other hand I also hate keeping track of yet another thing in my life. So, depending on what works for you, you can choose a different way to keep track, but getting a sense of progressing with this task is very important. It will give you the motivation to continue and inch closer to achieving Inbox Zero.

Luckly you can use an app like AgainstData to automatically compile a list of all of the companies that hold your data as well as all of the newsletters and promotional emails you are subscribed to. Unsubscribing and deleting your data with one click allows you to eat away fast at that backlog, while simultaneously keeping track of your actions and impact. It even lets you know how much CO2 you managed to save by deleting old emails and choosing not to receive any new useless ones.

Step 5: Selectively send data deletion requests for a long-lasting clean digital footprint

There are real-life practical examples as well as psychological benefits of having your personal data in as few places as possible. If you want to learn what a data deletion is and also how a data deletion template looks like, check out our article on that.

Knowing that your personal data is not being held unnecessarily by various organizations can reduce anxiety about how your information is being used. This sense of control over your digital footprint allows you to interact with online services more confidently, knowing that you can limit the storage of your personal data to what is truly necessary.

And from a very practical angle, by ensuring that outdated or irrelevant data is removed from a company's records, you reduce the risk of this information being exposed in a data breach. This proactive measure helps protect sensitive details, such as your contact information, financial data, and personal preferences, from falling into the wrong hands.

And of course, let’s not forget about the bigger picture. By exercising your right to data deletion contributes to greater transparency and accountability in how companies handle personal data. This way, you signal to companies that privacy matters to their customers. This can encourage businesses to be more diligent in their data management policies and more responsive to privacy concerns, ultimately fostering a more trustworthy digital environment. Sounds good, doesn’t it? I for one would really like to live in a world like that.

Step 6: Stay clean. Be more attentive on why and where you share your email address.

To avoid sharing your email address unnecessarily, be selective about where you provide it. When signing up for new services or online accounts, consider whether the service truly requires your email for essential communication or if it's simply a way to market to you. This cautious approach helps limit the number of entities that have access to your email, reducing the risk of it being added to spam lists or receiving unwanted newsletters.

Another effective strategy is to use a secondary or disposable email address for non-essential sign-ups, such as online shopping or free trials. This keeps your primary inbox free from promotional emails and potential spam. By isolating less critical communications, you protect your main email account from being overwhelmed with unwanted messages, making it easier to manage important correspondence. In my case, my secondary email was an absolute mess. But guess what? I managed to bulk delete a lot of the innumerable layers of spam in just a couple of minutes with AgainstData.

Before providing your email address, always read the privacy policies and terms of service of the website or company. These documents often contain information about how your email will be used and whether it will be shared with third parties. By understanding these policies, you can make informed decisions about which entities you trust with your email address, helping to prevent it from being exploited for spam.

Additionally, be cautious about sharing your email address on public forums, social media, or comment sections. These areas are frequently scanned by bots looking to harvest email addresses for spam purposes. Instead, use private messaging systems or obfuscate your email address if you must share it publicly, which can help protect it from being easily collected by spammers.

Inbox Zero = Lifestyle

Inbox Zero is ultimately a lifestyle where minimalism is applied to your digital mailbox. And it’s a lot like sports. It is great if you manage to exercise several times a week, but doing just a little exercise from time to time is better than not doing any. So keep that in mind and strive to get as close as possible to Inbox Zero, even if there will be the occasional re-subscribe to that gaming newsletter. You know, for when you have the time for it.

Photo credits: Muhammad Ribkhan from Pixabay