Around the world, cities are opening up again. And while we faced a second wave-sized hurdle recently, in cities like Hyderabad things are looking up. Case numbers are dropping, vaccination efforts are doubling, and schools, colleges and workplaces are gearing up to reopen again. But before that day we’re dreaming of actually arrives, we need to deal with the idea of spending every waking moment online. And our email inboxes have borne the brunt of it. Because the past year and half that we’ve spent online, working from home or attending online classes in one of the top schools in Hyderabad, have put a lot of load on your online profiles. So, as we gear up for this final stretch on the road to normalcy, it’s time to finally take a look at the tonnes of emails that have been cluttering up your inbox over the last few months.
Opening your laptop to thousands of unread emails (most of them accumulated during the lockdown) doesn’t really scream organisation. And you want to be performing your best at school this year. All that digital clutter should not get in your way. That’s why it’s important to set a date with your inbox to clear it out for a fresh start. And like any relationship, this can’t be a one-time thing. You need to set aside some time on a regular basis to maintain digital decluttering, delete spam, archive completed work and prioritise the important items. We’re giving you a few tips to help you get started.
Unsubscribe
During the lockdown, you probably took advantage of the whole world being online. It allowed you to explore all that Hyderabad had to offer and more, so once physical classes resume, you can enjoy the city. With various sites, newspapers, channels, organisations and services offering their services, you probably signed up for a bunch of emails without even realising it. And now their weekly updates and newsletters are clogging up your inbox. Well, don’t just blindly hit delete, scroll through the spam, and hit that unsubscribe button. It’ll take you only a couple of seconds, but it will save you a lot of future time on deleting unnecessary emails. And if you want to make it easier to filter out the subscriptions from your regular emails, simply search for the word ‘unsubscribe’ in your inbox to filter the required material.
Separate your scheduling
Your teacher wants to hold a meeting about your term project on Tuesday at noon. They send you a calendar invite. But hold on, you have a different class at the same time. They change the timing of the meeting to 4pm. You remind your teacher that your classmate is also working on this project with you. They update the invitation to include your friend too. And what would have taken a few seconds in a physical classroom has now created at least six emails in your inbox. Save the scheduling clutter in your inbox by using an online calendar system instead. Or create a common calendar for your group that will reflect new events and meetings for everyone. You can even use this to schedule your Zoom birthday parties or weekend Netflix binges with your friends.
Separate your accounts
The pandemic may have forced you to conflate your school and personal life as you juggled both in one of the hostels in Hyderabad, but it’s time to separate your different identities again. And that should mean segregating your email accounts too. We don’t just mean separating your institution email id from your personal one (although that’s something you should definitely do). We mean sorting more of the clutter by having different emails according to purpose. You could have an email for your social media, one for your internship or extracurricular activities, and one for your personal use etc. You’ll find it a lot easier to review and keep track of your actions and obligations if you separate your accounts in this fashion.
And there you have it. These tips will help you digitally declutter and become your best self in Hyderabad. Because you don’t need to wait for the pandemic to end before you streamline your life. Starting with a freshly organised inbox will set you up for success and make it a lot easier for you to be efficient and productive. So, don’t put it off any longer. Use our suggestions to clear out your inbox.
