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FOMO Rules My Inbox

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43393032 - business woman in a state of shock sitting near the computer.

For most of us, FOMO rules our inbox. We just can’t delete that promo message from Restoration Hardware or the Gap letting us know that “you can save 70% off” something you don’t really need.
From a productivity standpoint, these messages are a waste of time. It’s a waste to delete them and a waste to file them. But the deluge of solicitations and subscriptions must be confronted. Mailboxes exceeding 5-10 GB make it harder for your mail client (like Outlook or Apple’s Mail) to maintain this database of messages. Time to clean it up!
There are few things you can do to temper your FOMO and maintain a clean mailbox.
Use tools of the trade:

Gmail and Google apps provide one of the best platforms for organizing your mail. You can use Gmail filters to automate message actions and sorting to help you keep on top of the important stuff. When there’s time, check your “Promotions” section where those Gap deals end up. Check out this Lifehacker article for some great filter ideas.

Use Filters in Gmail
Apple Mail Filters

Apple mail also has filters that allow you to set rules based on the message’s To, From,  or Subject. One of my favorite rules deletes messages after a certain number of days (see below).

Apple Mail Filters
Legally; you don’t need it!

I’m by no means a legal expert on this, but I can tell you that some companies only keep 6 months worth of email. The thought is that if you have a policy against keeping it, then it can’t be subpoenaed. What’s important is not how long you have your mail, but that you have a policy around keeping it.
Talk to us about what email solution is best for your company. We offer hosted email solutions that meet both of these requirements, whether you want to get rid of it regularly, or keep it forever.