Most of the email in your inbox isn't useful. Instead of managing it, try ignoring it

If you're like me (Mayowa), the unread-emails icon can be a source of anxiety. Sometimes it feels like achieving "inbox zero" — or having read, filtered, deleted or just dealt with all the emails I get — is an impossible goal to achieve. Spending so much time on email can also get in the way of other work and life activities.

Taylor Lorenz felt the same way. So, she stopped trying. And it worked.

"I felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders when I set the out-of-office responder permanently on," she says.

Lorenz, a technology reporter for The New York Times, uses a method called inbox infinity. Basically, it's the opposite of inbox zero.

"I described it as just letting email messages wash over you," she says. "Responding to the ones that you can, but ignoring most of them."

That's it. That's the tip. Just ignore your inbox and go on about your life.

While it's just one step, here are some strategies to help implement it:

Set an out-of-office responder

If you're going to try inbox infinity, it can help to set a permanent out-of-office responder that lets people know what to expect from you.

Should they expect a response from you at all? If so, when? Is there someone else they should contact if they have a specific inquiry? Maybe if you get the same question over and over again, your out-of-office responder could include the answers to some frequently asked questions so you can be more productive without getting bogged down in emails.

Try this with a personal email inbox first

Not everyone has the luxury of being able to just ignore their inbox, especially in a professional capacity. But for a personal inbox, it may be an easier sell. And, Lorenz says, it can force people to help themselves before reaching out to you.

"It's basically like having people filter themselves and just stop and think for a second, 'Is this something super-urgent that I actually need Taylor to respond to, or can I just not bother her right now?' " Lorenz says. "And most people, I would say 99% of my friends, will say, 'Oh, you know what? I was asking her for this, but I can just figure it out on my own, or I can resolve it in a different way and not put it on her plate.' "

You can still check your inbox

It's really up to you to determine the strength of your approach. Maybe you still check your email once a day. Maybe it's once a week. But the goal is to be less beholden to responding to emails and more focused on other aspects of life.

It's not a foolproof plan. Lorenz says she has missed a few opportunities and announcements here and there. But by and large, she says, it has been worth it to regain hours and hours of her life back.

"I really do advocate this idea of just giving up that tight control and being a little bit more Zen," Lorenz says. "And accepting that there are things that you just won't get to during the day and that's fine."

The audio portion of this episode was produced by Andee Tagle, with engineering support from Neil Tevault.

We'd love to hear from you. If you have a good life hack, leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at [email protected]. Your tip could appear in an upcoming episode.

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