Why Do I Have So Many Unread Emails?

Unlike physical mails, you can’t wait for emails to fill up your mailbox and dispose of. So, if you are frequently receiving tons of emails, you need to read them, or they will accumulate as unread messages in your inbox. It means that you will have difficulty sorting all your unread emails as you can’t delete them without knowing the content or the source. 

You have a few choices when an email arrives in your inbox. You can read it, archive it, or delete it immediately to avoid unnecessary accumulation in your inbox. If you ignore the message, it remains in your unread section forever. 

But Why leave Emails Unread?

Every person has a different way of dealing with emails. That’s why you’ll find people with thousands of unread emails and others with zero unread emails in their busy email accounts. 

One of the main reasons people leave emails unread is to easily identify them once they open the inbox in the future. They intend to read the email later and don’t struggle to look for it or forget it. In other words, they use unread emails as their to-do list. 

Another reason why people leave emails unread is simply ignorance. You see a new email in your inbox, check the sender, and lack interest in reviewing the content or interacting with the sender. It marks the end of the interaction as you ignore and proceed to the next activity. 

Therefore, it’s clear that there are contrasting reasons why people have many unread emails in their inboxes. Some leave the email unread to save it for later reference, while others leave it forever. As a result, all the unread emails in your inbox look the same, and no one can tell which one you left for what reason. With time, the numbers keep growing, and it becomes difficult for you to tell which of the unread emails in your inbox you intend to open. 

Address the Unread Emails Issue

Instead of leaving all the necessary and unnecessary emails unread in your email inbox, you should utilize the numerous features designed to address the issue. You don’t need to install third-party companion apps or add-ons. You only need the basic core features in your email account. 

If you are fond of keeping emails unread in your account, you’re doing nothing inherently wrong. We do it when we don’t have the time or just don’t have the interest. The main problem emanates from keeping unread emails in your account due to ignorance. It becomes hard to use your inbox as a to-do list. 

It doesn’t mean you need to spend your quality time on spam emails or things you no longer care about. However, when you leave the unnecessary emails unread in your inbox, you make things harder for yourself in the long term. Instead, you should click “delete/archive” or “Mark as Read.” The little effort you put into sorting the unread emails will make it easier for you to understand your inbox in the long run and avoid the accumulation of unread emails. 

Similarly, you should mark the emails you want to read later instead of just leaving them unread in your inbox. One readily available option in your inbox is to “Star” all the emails that you want to read later. Your inbox has a separate section to keep all your starred emails between the “Inbox” and “Sent” sections. Starring the important messages clarifies what messages you should address the next time you check emails. 

What if The Email Inbox Mess is Already Done?

The solutions above are perfect if you are just starting on a clean slate. However, things might be a bit tricky if your inbox already has hundreds of unread emails overflowing in the inbox. This is the case for most people shocked by the high number shown next to the inbox section. At this moment, you realize that you just dug yourself a massive hole that doesn’t seem to have a way out. 

Sincerely, you’ll have to dig your way out as it’ll take substantial time to decide which of the unread emails are essential and which ones to discard. However, most of the emails piled up as unread in your email inbox aren’t that important to you. So, you can simply select all of them and “Mark as Read.” Though unclear, the option helps you skip the daunting task of sorting the unread emails or having to delete everything. Marking the unread emails as read is not quite as aggressive as deleting or archiving everything. In case you remember there was a vital email among the unread, you can still find it using the client’s search feature. 

The most important thing is to address the emails right away rather than ignore them and exacerbate the situation. Your email inbox doesn’t have to be a mess all the time. Deal with the issue and eradicate the anxiety from your life once and for all.