Most of the businesses that I’ve pursued are web-based, so I’ve had my fair share of computer time through the years. Through this experience (sometimes I feel like I type and send emails for a living lol…), I’ve learned some tips and tricks to be more efficient with email management that I could not live without now.
In short, many of things you do on your computer could be done in half the time or less if you identify more efficient ways of doing them- using keyboard shortcuts instead of the computer mouse is one of the best ways to do this, and email is the best place to start. I compiled this blog post after showing a few clients tricks they weren’t previously aware of- hope these can help you too!
In short, many of things you do on your computer could be done in half the time or less if you identify more efficient ways of doing them- using keyboard shortcuts instead of the computer mouse is one of the best ways to do this, and email is the best place to start. I compiled this blog post after showing a few clients tricks they weren’t previously aware of- hope these can help you too!
Keyboard Shortcuts to Race Through 150+ Emails Per Day
Email takes up a pretty big chunk of my work time, as I’m constantly interacting with team members, vendors, and clients. Using keyboard shortcuts instead of my computer mouse might only save me about 5 seconds per email, but this adds up to over an hour each week. It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s an hour I wouldn’t have otherwise…
Side note- If you’re using hotmail, yahoo, outlook, or another email provider, you should move to gmail if at all possible. It’s built insanely efficiently and is just a better product than any other email service available.
Below are gmail’s keyboard shortcuts to use (be sure to enable keyboard shortcuts in gmail first). I’ve written these out in the order that you would probably use them so that it’s easier to understand.
There are quite a few other gmail shortcuts that you should be aware of. However, start by forcing yourself to use the keyboard shortcuts above for the next few hours and it will gradually feel more natural and become part of your email management habits. It will feel tedious for the first day or so, but isn’t that worth saving an hour of work time a week?
Side note- If you’re using hotmail, yahoo, outlook, or another email provider, you should move to gmail if at all possible. It’s built insanely efficiently and is just a better product than any other email service available.
Below are gmail’s keyboard shortcuts to use (be sure to enable keyboard shortcuts in gmail first). I’ve written these out in the order that you would probably use them so that it’s easier to understand.
- Move cursor to the search box so that you can type and find an email you’re looking for- /
- Move up / down to messages that show up in your inbox after searching (or without searching)- j / n
- Open a message in inbox after using move up / down to get to it- enter
- Reply to an email you have opened- r
- Send an email after you’re done typing it- tab then enter
- Go back to the inbox after sending or reading an email- g then i
- Start a new email- c
- Move from typing the address, the the subject line, to the email body- tab
There are quite a few other gmail shortcuts that you should be aware of. However, start by forcing yourself to use the keyboard shortcuts above for the next few hours and it will gradually feel more natural and become part of your email management habits. It will feel tedious for the first day or so, but isn’t that worth saving an hour of work time a week?