Is Your Mailbox Causing Your Stress?
If your mailbox is anything like mine, it can get out of control quickly and lead to piles of mail and mounds of stress. Although it may seem a daunting task, getting your mail under control is a very simple five step process.
1. Set up a mail opening station in your home or office
In all honesty, this sounds like more than it really is. All you need is a place (table, bar, desk, etc…) where you consistently open your mail. It should have the following: a letter opener, a paper shredder, and a trash can. Simple. Easy.
2. Before you do anything else, immediately trash all of the junk mail … without opening it first
In most cases, you can tell what’s junk without even opening the envelope. If you know it’s junk, rip it in half and toss it in the trash. Now you’re ready to sort through the important mail.
3. Open all of your mail on the day it’s received
After you chunk the junk, get your letter opener and open the existing mail. Sort it into three piles: Action, File, Trash. Next, toss the trash into the garbage or shredder, and file the “to file” stuff as appropriate. For the “action” items, log them on your To Do List to take care of later.
4. Set up all bills on auto-pay
If you really want to decrease your stress, set up all of your bills on auto-pay. This is a really great time saver, and most time savers = stress busters! With your bills on auto-pay, when they arrive in your mailbox, all you have to do is record them into your checkbook and file them away. Completely fuss-free! No check writing, not stamps, no licking icky envelopes … no stress! You can even take it one step further by signing up for electronic delivery of your bills to your email inbox, so you’ll never have to worry about bills in your mailbox again!
5. Manage your magazine subscription renewal notices in one easy step
I subscribe to LOTS of different magazines and newsletters. Over the last two years, I’ve seen more and more magazine publishers aggressively sending renewal notices — well in advance of your subscriptions actual expiration. In some cases, I’ve even received these notifications two years before my subscription expires. I receive about three to four subscription renewal notifications each week! It’s really crazy. Frankly, it’s a waste of my time, and its annoying. To eliminate this chaos, I implemented a new “rule” in my life — in fact, it’s one of my favorite tips to reduce stress from “mail clutter”. I immediately discard all renewal notifications until they read: “This is Your Last Issue.” This is brilliant stress buster. Until you see those words, “Last Issue,” it goes immediately into the trash!
Try these five very simple steps to stop your mailbox from causing stress in your life … Chad Simpson