Email can be a great tool for keeping communication flowing smoothly, but it can also be a major time suck. It may seem like you never reach the end of unopened messages, and you may get repeatedly sidetracked trying to keep up with the influx of new emails.

If your inbox has become a source of perpetual stress, read on. In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we’re sharing some tips from writer Mary Squillace on how you can conquer your inbox once and for all.

Be ruthless with your inbox real estate. Only keep emails requiring immediate action in your inbox, Squillace says. This keeps you laser-focused on what you need to address right away. File or delete the non-urgent messages.

Create a “waiting folder.” Let’s say you need a response from a client or colleague before you can move forward with something. Rather than letting an email take up space in your inbox, drag it into a “waiting folder.”

Get organized with subfolders and labels. You can use these to group together email chains or categorize different topics. When you’re looking for something, you’ll know exactly where to find it because you’ll know where you stored the communication.

Set inbox rules or filters. Squillace says many email providers allow you to do this, which can help you quickly categorize emails without depleting your brainpower. You may want to create rules that sort emails into different folders or prioritize based on the sender. Then, you can take time at the end of the day to follow up or scan the emails you received.

Create templates. Instead of tailoring a different reply for every email, Squillace says you may benefit from keeping some stock responses in your drafts that you can easily reuse.

Schedule email-checking times — and stick to them. It’s easy to get caught up checking and responding to emails when you could be tackling more important tasks. To avoid this, close down your email and only check it during dedicated time blocks of your choosing.

Turn off email notifications. For many, the siren song of your inbox notification might be too great a temptation, Squillace says. To avoid getting distracted by constantly checking your emails, just turn off the notifications. You can check in at your scheduled time.

Use idle time for inbox cleanup. Do you typically scroll social media when you have a few moments in between meetings or projects? Try doing some quick email clean-up instead. You could delete spam, file things or send off quick replies.

You don’t have to accomplish the elusive inbox zero. Instead, try some of the tips above to change how you handle your emails. Maybe this means creating calendar reminders for emails that need action or immediately unsubscribing from messages that no longer add value. When you gain control over your email, you can benefit from less stress, improved productivity and better organization.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: Mary Squillace is a writer and editor who contributes to The Muse blog.