5 Ways to Achieve Inbox Zero without Negatively Impacting Your Relationships

There is nothing as panic-inducing as seeing 1057 unread emails in your inbox. The idea of having that much to go through is enough to make you want to never open your email again. With today's influx of messages and constant contact, it is easy to have an inbox overburdened with unread and unwanted mail.

Much like your body and the latest juice cleanse, you can also benefit from an email cleanse. And no, I am not implying you should pour juice on your computer, but rather bring your email to inbox zero.

It's easy to start using email as a way to keep track of daily tasks like a checklist or a calendar, but this leads to inbox clutter. Instead of accumulating a mess of email, inbox zero keeps your inbox current and relevant. Simply put, the method recommends deleting nonessential emails in your inbox, leaving only the bare minimum of emails to be saved.

Merlin Mann originally created the idea of "inbox zero" to remind people that email is a communication medium. He compared email to a tube: emails come in and go back out. To combat the high volume of email these days...

Here are five tips on how to get down to inbox zero:

1. Prioritize

Don't let old extraneous emails clutter your communication. Prioritize emails by what is relevant to your present focus. According to Mann, when you receive an email you have five options: delete, delegate, respond, defer, and do. If the message is not important, get rid of it!

For instance, delete promotional emails you are not interested in. Don't have time to respond right now? Archive the email for later and try to respond that day, or delegate the responsibilities in the email to another person.

You can set up reminders for emails to which you need to reply. If it is crucial to reply to an email, reply as soon as you see it. If there is an action or task to be done, do it now or put it in your calendar.