Is it possible to keep onn top of emails and keep a tidy computer?

[Gagagardener]

I am old enough to remember back to the days before the 'new technology'. I adapted well enough to get by at work, and to run a sizeable department. There was good IT support. No problems.

Now I'm on my own. I use Gmail across a Samsung Android tablet and mobile phone, and on an HP desktop computer. I have umpteen unread emails from last year, and a complete filing muddle between Dropbox, Google Drive, One Drive and the computer's own filing system. Attachments to emails disappear. My work disappears. I spend more time looking for things I know I have read/received/written than I do in productive work. I hang on to every draft of everything, it seems.

I feel as though me devices are setting me challenges all the time

I would love to know how other people manage. I have an urge to spring clean, but can't see where to start.

I welcome any advice from anyone who has time to share any.

I am being unreasonable, because I must sort this all by myself.
I am not being unreasonable, because the hive mind of Mumsnet contains lots of experience MNetters are happy to share.

Quick tips for tidying up emails:
-Unsubscribe from unwanted emails by scrolling down to the Unsubscribe link and clicking on it
-I Declutter my inbox by deleting 100 emails at a time. No reading them, just scrolling down, highlighting 100 junk emails and clicking delete.

I operate inbox zero so I think get to there once and keep it up. I logged off on 15 December though so there will be about 100 tomorrow I am guessing. I have three emails, work online shopping and personal.

I also delete junk and spam on the first day of the month

Is there a reason you use so many filing systems? Can you not select one and set the others to auto update from that one?

I declutter by sorting my emails by sender. I can then delete a load at once when I know its junk or move them to a mailbox.

I have also used the 'rules' function to automatically file regular emails. It doesn't always work but for example anything with 'amazon' in the email address goes straight to a Shopping mailbox without me seeing it. I can then scan my mailboxes for unreads when I have time. Likewise, things like BritishAirways or Easyjet - they go straight into a travel mailbox.

I do keep all my mail other than junk. The junk is kept for 30 days only and then automatically deleted. I don't always keep a check on Junk mail but having done this for years, I have never misplaced anything important.

The problem is that I am now reaching email storage limits so would be interested to see how other people deal with this. If there is a better way, I would love to know about it.

Gmail is the secret to storage issues - it's unlimited.

When I used to have mailbox limits I would just order inbox (including folders) by size then delete biggest ones

I have folders to keep emails that may be needed in future and move them immediately. Anything that stays in my inbox is because I need to do something with it and haven't yet. After that, delete.

No need to keep a million Amazon notifications, all the info is on your Amazon account order history if needed later, same for most other online shopping. I keep order confirmations from places I don't have an account until the item has arrived and I know it works, then bin them. Clear junk folder every few days. Go through email folders once every six months and bin stuff no longer needed.

Trying to teach my 14 year old the same habits but not there yet..!

You can also make new folders in your email account to keep things in order. I keep emails from different companies in different files so anything from catalogues is moved to a file just for that and anything from banking goes in a file for banking. It helps keep nail organised.

For your files, pick one cloud store and move everything into it and turn off the others. In your case Google Drive seems the best choice. It'll do everything the other two can.

Is this for work or personal stuff?

For work I am good at filing. Generally on a Friday afternoon I sort by sender so I can bulk delete any junk I've missed and then I scan / file / flag.

Personal I just delete them. There's so few I need to keep.

This is not realistic -- only having 100 mails in three weeks!

I get about 400 emails a day on work email and about 100 a day on personal. Most of that personal ones are product/ service of course but it isn't possible to operate work inbox zero and who has the time or inclination to do this!

Thank you all very much. When I've finished this post-gardening cup of tea, I'll go to my desk and attempt to take your good advice. I hate email because it induces in me the feeling that too many people want an instant reaction and my attention. And my money.

I may be back later with stupid questions about possibly useful apps. And other things.

Are there any other people like me out there who feel they've never been taught the basics of effective personal IT admin?

I remember years ago having a training session on email management when everyone was first using them. One thing that stuck in my mind was this. Be ruthless, open, deal, delete or file. Never open and think you'll go back to it later.
Get your in box filtered so some messages get filed, labelled or redirected automatically.

Yes, I don't feel I know the best way to deal with emails.

Hubby always tells.me to convert to zero emails in my inbox but it seems too hard. Too many different senders, a lot of emails I'm copied in on and too many different topics. I do try and delete as many as poss on grounds that if I delete anything important I'd probably recall who sent it to me and I could go back to ask them for more info.

I also have a rule that a certain sender's emails get filed automatically and it seems to be helpful.

Delete and delegate- ie forward to another person and delete-. seem to be my only useful ways of dealing with them.

My work email is always clear / zero. I get no junk, I unsubscribed immediately and delete it as I read it. I open and read and deal with all emails as soon as I get in. Sometimes 200 or so, all dealt with immediately as soon as I get to work. Therefore I find it easy to deal with.

Block time out of your day to do admin. Use the pomodoro technique, and focus purely on emails for 25 minutes, set a timer, do nothing else, and be ruthless.

Appointments get accepted and added to calendar or declined with a message.
Emails requiring me to do something get a brief note back to confirm receipt and when it will be done, and added to my task tracker with priority, then the original email gets filed.
Anything that can be resolved there and then, I do it, and file it.
Anything that's a long read, I add to task tracker, and file the original email.
Anything for info as a quick read, with no action, gets read and filed.
Spam gets blocked
Junk gets unsubscribed.
Irrelevant stuff gets binned.

After 25 mins, step away from email, review the task tracker and plan what your next steps are.

I do this first thing, before lunch, after lunch and before I log off. It rarely takes the full 25 mins, more like 10. Anyone who needs something more urgently than that will call or teams message me through the day.

Email does not require an instant response, there are other forms of communication for that. If someone has emailed you it can realistically wait an hour or two. Don't allow it to be a distraction.

I was never taught it admin, when I started work we had two computers per office with Internet access, the rest were local network only. But I've taught myself because I hate that cluttered disorganised 'not quite sure where I put it and whether I did that and what's lurking in my inbox' feeling. It's about being ruthless but also protective of your time and energy, understanding other people's expectations, and managing them as needed. You don't need to reply instantly as long as people know what to expect.

That's what I'm thinking

does gmail have a facility like Outlook, - I put attachments in for meetings in the diary entry for the meeting.

I'm guessing you're working for yourself...easier to have a folder for each client.

also delete any rubbish asap.

i'm crap at keeping my flat tidy, maybe we can swap skills somehow! My computer is the only thing I am keeping on top of atm. Just did some filing though.

People who email don't want an instant reaction. I'd phone if I wanted instant reaction. The point of emails is you can consider your response at length.

I'm ok at managing emails, but end up using them as reminders especially on projects where people can take weeks to reply or make the next-step-decisions.

You need to invest a couple of hours on setting up folders and filters. I have one for each dc, mailing lists, arty mailing lists, Guides, etc. Most of my messages land in the right place.

Is there anything you can unsubscribe from? I've unsubscribed from MN mails and LinkedIn.

I now subscribe to the view that there's not much benefit to be gained by maintaining a tidy inbox. Filing emails is time consuming, inefficient and unnecessary. Analysis shows that people who don't file emails and keep everything (read, unread, and junk) in their inboxes can retrieve specific emails quicker by using the search function than those who try to locate old emails by navigating through folders.

That's my theory and I'm sticking to it

No one has been taught even if it's essential to your job, you have to just work it out for yourself.
Inbox zero is a ridiculous aspiration for most people. Just scan over your inbox, deal with the things that jump out, ignore the rest, if it's important they will follow up. You will miss things. The sky won't fall in.

Manythanks, everyone
@EmmaEmerald how did you know I keep my home tidy? I like the role swap idea !👏
@MariahsBaubles well, I like your thinking!.