Right now I’m sitting here beaming because my inbox is empty. Really! Have I read and responded to every message? Well no. I’m not an “Inbox Zero” type. Watch this quick video if you have no idea what that means.
Before regaining control, I had 409 unread emails. But I have a tip for starting each year with a clean slate. You can do it too!
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Empty your inbox
You could try sorting through your emails in a maze of folders, but who has time for that? Here is a surprisingly simple solution to start the New Year right: Archive your inbox. It’s like a magic wand for your digital clutter!
What is email archiving, you ask? Imagine this: a digital vault where all the emails you’ve sent or received are securely stored, along with their attachments. No more endless scrolling through a jam-packed inbox!
So, are you ready to beat email overload? Here’s your quick start guide to mastering your inbox with the power of archiving.
Archiving your inbox is the quickest way to ease your email burden as the new year approaches. (Photo illustration by Thomas Truutschel/Photothek via Getty Images)
Steps to Archive Emails in Gmail
- Open your Gmail account on a computer and click on the Inbox folder left.
- Above your emails there is an empty checkbox. Click on the little arrow next to it and choose All so that conversations are visible on your screen.
- To select all emails, click Select all [number] conversations in the inboxthen press the Archive icon. (It looks like a folder with an arrow pointing down.)
Gmail will take some time to process your request, so be patient. You may have to repeat this step several times to get everything.
Once you’ve archived a message, you can click All Messages on the left, under “Inbox” and your other email folders, to find it. Search by a term you know was in the email or by the sender.
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Do you use Apple Mail? Here’s what to do
- Open the Mail app on your Mac. Go through your inbox or other folders and find the emails you want to keep. Click on an email to select it or, if you have more than one, press and hold Order and click on each one you want to archive.
- Do you have an Archive button (it looks like a little box) on your toolbar? Click on it and you are golden. No button? Click Message at the top, then choose Archive in the drop-down list. For a shortcut, tap Ctrl+Cmd+A to send these emails directly to your archives.
- To view your archived emails, go to Archive file in the sidebar under “Mailboxes”. Do you have multiple email accounts? Each has its own “Archive” folder.
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How to Archive Emails in Microsoft Outlook
Outlook does not place archived messages in a separate folder. Instead, they will directly access a data file that you can access whenever you want.
- Select Deposit > Cleaning tools > Archivethen hits Archive this folder and all subfolders. Choose the folder you want to archive (in this case, your inbox).
- Under Archive items older than, enter a date. For example, you may want to archive everything before 2012. Then, check the box which says Include items with “Do not automatically archive”. Click ALL RIGHTand you are ready to go.
You will see the emails disappear from your inbox and subfolders. Find them under the “Archives” section.
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You can archive emails in GMail, Outlook and even Yahoo. (Photo by Peter Dazeley/Getty Images)
Do you have a Yahoo email? Here’s what to do
- Hold your mouse over Inbox in the left panel and click the icon drop-down arrow which appears. From the options, choose Clean out your inbox.
- A pop-up window will appear. Choose Archive emails. Please note, this may take some time.
Do you want to remove a message from the archives? Open the “Archive” folder, tap the desired email and select Restore to Inbox.
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Worried you might have missed something?
Archiving is not the same as deleting. It’s like putting things in a storage box. Even if you archive emails, they can be subpoenaed. legal affairs. I do not give legal advice, so consult an attorney if you have any questions.
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