#1 Create a mini oasis in your inbox with a Nice Stuff Folder

Whether we work in an office, remotely or freelance emails are unavoidable.

It is easy to feel overwhelmed by an overflowing inbox, especially if you throw public engagement or difficult interactions into the mix.

My background is in commercial content creation and working as an editor in a newsroom, so I have received thousands of emails that threw a spanner in my day.

But there is a simple antidote.

Create a Nice Stuff Folder

The best bit of advice I received – and I don’t remember where it came from – was to make a ‘Nice Stuff Folder.’

Create a subfolder in your inbox archive where you collect pleasant or positive emails.

These might be from grateful colleagues, happy readers or jubilant project partners.

If you have a rough day or the stream of emails becomes overwhelming, you have a mini oasis you can dip into for some relief.

The point is not to boost your ego or dive into self-indulgence.

Rather, by glancing through your Nice Stuff Folder you remind yourself of victories, upbeat moments or positive progress you contributed towards.

These moments of reflection are like little resets to refresh your headspace and maybe turn a pessimistic or negative mindset into a brighter one.

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