Email is a great tool. Unfortunately, its easy to think of it as a Swiss Army Knife and use it ways it’s not well suited. Here are a few tips to help you get a handle on email:

1. Your inbox is not permanent storage. Work through it and take action:
1. File, Flag for follow-up, reply or delete.
2. Use folders for longer term storage and getting organized. Some good examples of useful folders might be:
1. Follow-up – Items that need research before replying.
2. Read Later – News letters or messages that don’t require a response.
3. Archive – Longer term storage.
4. Projects
3. Turn off Email alerts and only check email periodically through the day.
4. Use the tools offered by most of email applications like flags,labels,stars to make it easier to keep track of messages.
5. If you are out of office, make sure you use the auto-responder feature to make sure people understand it might be a while before you respond.
6. Make sure understand your Anti spam software and Junk Mail options so it doesn’t block your important emails and try to check spam folder at regularly.

For a more comprehensive list of ideas for getting email under control check out InboxZero.