Minimalism and the Art of Keeping Your Inbox Empty 6 min read · Written by Mae R Davis on · Inbox Zero.
Minimalism is a lifestyle and philosophy that emphasizes simplicity and the reduction of unnecessary possessions and distractions. In the digital age, this philosophy can also be applied to our email inboxes. In this article, we'll discuss the basic concepts of minimalism and how to apply them to the art of keeping your inbox empty.
One of the main principles of minimalism is the idea of only keeping what is necessary and getting rid of everything else. This can be applied to your email inbox by only keeping emails that require a response or action, and deleting or archiving everything else. By doing this, you can reduce the clutter in your inbox and focus on what is important.
Another principle of minimalism is the idea of only allowing what is necessary and valuable into your life. This can be applied to your email inbox by being selective about the newsletters and emails you sign up for, and by using an email masking service that has robust spam filtering capabilities. By doing this, you can reduce the amount of unwanted emails that enter your inbox and keep it organized and clutter-free.
Minimalism also emphasizes the importance of simplicity and the elimination of distractions. This can be applied to your email inbox by using email filters and rules to automatically delete or archive emails that are not important or relevant. For example, you can create a rule to automatically delete emails from newsletters that you no longer want to receive. This will help you keep your inbox organized and free of distractions.
Here are some additional tips for applying minimalism to your email inbox:
- Unsubscribe from newsletters and emails that you no longer want to receive. This will reduce the amount of unwanted emails in your inbox and keep it organized.
- Use an email masking service that has robust spam filtering capabilities to reduce the amount of spam in your inbox.
- Set up email filters and rules to automatically delete, label or archive emails that are not important or relevant. Use the temp email addresses as the filtering rule.
- Use the "archive" function instead of deleting emails, especially if you are unsure whether you will need the email in the future. This will keep your inbox organized and free of clutter, while still allowing you to access the email if needed.
- Practice the "one touch" rule, which means that you should only touch an email once and either delete it, archive it, or respond to it. This will help you stay organized and avoid clutter.
One of the most effective ways to apply minimalism to your email inbox is by using a service like Email Monster. Email Monster is a tool that allows you to create unlimited temporary email addresses that forward emails to your real account. This is a great way to avoid attachment to unwanted emails and keep your inbox organized and clutter-free.
By using Email Monster, you can create a different temporary email address for each newsletter or online account that you sign up for. This way, you can easily identify the source of the emails you receive in your inbox and decide whether to keep or delete them. You can also use Email Monster to protect your primary email from spam and phishing attacks by using a temporary email address when signing up for online accounts or services that you don't trust.
Another advantage of Email Monster is that it allows you to aggregate all future emails for your temporary email addresses, so you don't have to get them every day and only once a week/month. This is a great way to keep your inbox organized and free of clutter, and to practice the minimalist philosophy of only allowing what is necessary and valuable into your life.
In conclusion, minimalism is a philosophy that emphasizes simplicity and the reduction of unnecessary possessions and distractions. By applying the principles of minimalism to your email inbox, you can keep it organized and free of clutter.