I recently came across a clever idea in an email I received. At the bottom of the email, there was a link labeled "About me." I clicked on it and was taken to the results of a Perplexity search about the sender. It was an ingenious way to provide a snapshot of who they are, and I found it so useful and creative that I decided to steal the idea myself. — MF

This issue of David Friedman’s newsletter has five tips for reducing junk mail. They include a service that will opt you out of junk mail ($4 for 10 years), stopping pre-approved credit offers, and opting out of coupon mailers. I have followed all the suggestions mentioned in this newsletter." — MF

It took me way too long to discover how to quickly apply labels in Gmail. I used to apply custom labels to emails by using the drop-down menu — usually one by one. Then I figured out that if you have your labels set to show in the left panel, you can drag and drop messages into them, or vice versa — I drag the labels into my emails as I go through my inbox. Here’s a how-to on using drag and drop in Gmail. — CD

I feel like a weight has been lifted after reading What if we just stopped being so available? (The Atlantic, possible paywall). Joe Pinsker rants about the expectations of prompt responses and how we should all stop apologizing for failing to meet them. He says, “For one thing, having multiple obligations and priorities means that we are, all of us, in a perpetual state of delay on something, and apologizing for that fact feels like having to apologize for your standard mode of being.” He spoke with communication experts who suggest alternatives for “Sorry for my delay,” like “Thank you for your patience” or “I wanted to make sure I thought carefully about your good questions.” But I agree with Pinsker who prefers to omit an apology or expectation altogether and instead just write your message as if you’re responding right away, because content is more important than speed. This article is a much needed absolution. We all have the right to disconnect. — CD

Would you like to keep your regular email separated from your mailing list email? Here’s the easiest way: set a filter to route any email that contains the word “unsubscribe” to a separate email folder. — MF

My work revolves around my inbox, so I really appreciate Josh Spector’s collection of 40 concepts to help you write better emails and optimize your inbox. Below are some good ones. — CD

2. The more ideas you try to communicate in a single email, the more likely one will be overlooked.

5. You don’t need to sign your name at the end of your email — the recipient knows who it’s from.

7. The more your email sounds like you speak, the more effective it will be.

25. If you’re not working on email now, your inbox shouldn’t be open now.

29. The most important sentence in any email is the first one.

38. No one ever says “I wish the paragraphs in that email were longer.”

39. Every email should tell the recipient what you want them to do after they read it.

I just discovered that Gmail has a confidential mode feature that lets you set an expiration date to an email. In the composition window, you’ll find a lock icon with a clock and when you click on it you’ll see a list of different expiration times, ranging from 1 day to 5 years. Once it expires, recipients will be locked out from the message. Here are more detailed instructions. — CD

This “YouShouldKnow” shared by u/the-lah on reddit outlines the best way to convey what is essential when writing an email. I’ve pasted it below in its entirety. — CD

Dear Person I am Writing To,

This is an optional sentence introducing who I am and work for, included if the addressee has never corresponded with me before. The second optional sentence reminds the person where we met, if relevant. This sentence states the purpose of the email.

This optional paragraph describes in more detail what’s needed. This sentence discusses relevant information like how soon an answer is needed, what kind of answer is needed, and any information that the other person might find useful. If there’s a lot of information, it’s a good idea to separate this paragraph into two or three paragraphs to avoid having a Wall of Text.

If a description paragraph was used, close with a restatement of the initial request, in case the addressee ignored the opening paragraph.

This sentence is just a platitude (usually thanking them for their time) because people think I am standoffish, unreasonably demanding, or cold if it’s not included.

Closing salutation, Signature

“Snoozing” is a Gmail feature that helps me hide and postpone emails until I am emotionally ready to handle them. Unfortunately, the default snooze time in Gmail is 6PM which is long after I want to be checking work emails. I only recently discovered how to change the default snooze times (No. 5 on this list) which is go to Google Keep > click on the “gear” icon in the upper-right corner > select “Settings” > and under “Reminder Defaults” you’ll find the times that affect Gmail snoozing. — CD