6 Ways to Organize your Gmail Inbox

You're probably here because you Googled "how to organize your inbox" which means you are overwhelmed and want to make a change!

But the thing about your inbox: the longer you wait, the harder it is, and the less likely you're going to find the time to take care of it! 😩

Don't worry, I gotchu!

I'm not going to tell you to go through every single email - no one has time for that! We're just going to focus on the last 2-4 weeks of emails. Sounds doable, right? BECAUSE IT IS!

The best part: you're not going to need to delete a single email if you don't want to. 🙌

Some tips before you continue reading:

• Pick just one of these strategies to implement at a time. Smaller steps are less overwhelming than tackling the whole project at once!

• Download my freebie which walks you through exactly how to do the strategies outlined below.

• If you are getting reminders that you're reaching the storage capacity, you're probably going to need to delete some emails. I'd suggest starting with the oldest ones, but it's up to you!

1. Archive old emails

Is your inbox full of 1000s of old emails? Archive anything older than 2-4 weeks. Note: "archive" is different than "delete." Archive simply means getting them out of your inbox, but they will still be stored for you. You can find all archived emails (whether they are attached to a label or not) in your "All Mail" folder. Use can also use the search bar to find them.

By removing all these old emails, you'll be less overwhelmed dealing with the rest of them. The easiest way to do this is to select all emails, archive everything, and then move emails from the last 2-4 weeks back to your inbox.

2. Create labels for your emails

You may hear people use the terms "labels" and "folders" interchangeably (including myself!), but Gmail calls them "labels." Labels are a way to categorize your emails. Emails in your inbox can have labels, but you can also archive emails with labels. In that sense, they sort of live in a folder that you can access on the left side of your home screen. Some of my favorite labels:

Fingertips: These are emails you need to have at your fingertips (hotel reservations, meeting confirmations/links, shipping confirmations, etc). These do not need to be taking up space in your inbox because they don't need a reply, but it's nice to be able to find them quickly and easily!

Clients, Networking, Bookkeeping, Newsletters, and To Print are other labels you might find helpful.

3. Create filters for your inbox

Filters can automatically apply labels to incoming emails. Additionally, some emails can skip your inbox altogether and go directly into your designated folders (see - there I go using "folders" when what I mean is Gmail can add a label and then archive it. But doesn't the term "folder" make sense here??). I find this most useful for newsletters because I don't always have time to read them but sometimes I like to be able to catch up on what I missed.

Warning: if you have newsletters skip your inbox but that person emails you directly (eg you get newsletters from your friend who owns a business, but then they email you asking to grab a cup of coffee), you won't see the email in your inbox! I learned this the hard way, so learn from my mistake!

4. Unsubscribe from spam email

I know, people tell you this allll the time. Here's what I usually recommend: Every day for one week (including weekends!) you're going to unsubscribe from spam emails. You will eliminate ALL of the spam that gets delivered daily and weekly. The other spam either comes in monthly or sporadically and you can unsubscribe from those as they come in.

5. Create email templates

Email templates are great to create for those emails you find yourself writing again and again. Some examples: a welcome email, an offboarding email, someone asks if you accept insurance, a general networking/reaching out email, etc.

You can create email templates directing in Gmail or in Google Docs. My rule of thumb: if you just have a few templates, save them in Gmail. If you have many templates, create them in Google Docs and put the link wherever you keep your workflows. I have a freebie all about creating email templates in Google Docs. Grab it here!

6. Block out time to check your email

OK, I know just hearing the phrase "time block" may make you cringe. Here's what I mean: choose a couple times a day to check your email - and respond to emails that need a response right then and there! - and then close that tab for the rest of the day (make sure your phone notifications are turned off, too!). If you're like me, it's so easy to get distracted by new emails coming in. When you constantly switch from one task to another, your brain has to adjust and you lose momentum and focus. Plus, people can wait 4 hours for a reply, right? 😉

So, friend, what do you think? Are you ready to tackle that inbox once and for all?

Your next steps:

1. Download my freebie so you have the steps explained in detail.

2. Feel overwhelmed or need some accountability? You can book a 1:1 call and for 45 minutes I'll do everything above with you!