The last few weeks I had been feeling quite stressed about having too many things to do, and especially about the truly desperate state of my office and email ‘situation’. I can no longer file things, as the acquired dyslexia is much worse, and therefore, if I do, I can never find anything afterwards. The ‘B’ files end up in the ‘D’ files, and so on. Emails have also been a major issue for me, in part as I have more than one email account, but I also receive more than 300 per day, and I’m sure even without dementia, I’d find it hard to manage without any admin support.
After some contemplation on these matters, and thinking more about looking after myself lately, as if I don’t do that, I won’t be able to continue to help others with dementia or achieve my personal goals, I decided to take serious action.
In one email account that I still receive emails in, but can no longer work out how to reply to them, nor send from, I decided the best action was to simply DELETE them all. Hence, I highlighted them all, and hit the delete button!
A box quickly popped up, saying I was deleting 11,856 emails, and asked me to confirm this was what I wanted to do. Without any thought, I hit the OK button!
Quite some time later, my Inbox of this particular email account was empty, and it felt very liberating. Goodness knows if I’ll regret it, but it’s 100% certain I had not idea how many were even in there until yesterday, or what their content was, so as my dear unofficially adopted Japanese daughter Shizuka would say, “Who cares!”
There was a mildly humorous Facebook thread about this, and overnight, one of the people who had commented, lost all of her emails, without having taken this action. For her, I’m sure it was very stressful and I know it certainly would have been for me has I not made that choice! So it seems even without considered action, the email revolution is taking on, which is probably not such a bad thing!
Ps. to anyone who may have been expecting a reply to one of those emails, feel free to resend it, as now I’ll probably be able to find it.
I think that is a very brave act
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Haha, maybe brave. Mostly incredibly liberating! X
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Hello Kate, as a self-confessed neat-freak who puts all but the garbage into carefully labelled folders, I am envious of you just deleting. If I’m honest, it’s what I should be doing – except for the folder named: Kate Swaffer. I am so grateful for the many ideas you produce yourself as well as the others you pass on from your sources. Courage! Cheers Jim
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Thanks for adding to my reasons to smile today Jim! I’m definitely a self confesses ‘EX-neat freak”, and do still find it very challenging I can no longer file things, nor find anything, even if my BUB has filed them for me! I’m leaning towards taking more naps! 😉
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Kate, sorry you deleted my money order for $ 2 million, U.S. Oh well, easy come, easy go 🙂 , Phil
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Hahahahahaha! You cracked me up Phil! X
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Delete. Repeat.
😉
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👍👍
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Babe I think you have shown incredible wisdom and logic in doing this.
Tis only realistic to cleanse given the amount of pressure you are always under.
You are meeting your needs and this must always be your priority.
It’s so cathartic and I’m sure felt like such a release to do that.
WTF no one can possibly deal with that load alone and that number of emails would more than do my head in. Bloody hell.
Again I want to offer my help darling in any way you feel I can assist. I wish I could be on hand and help more but if you throw some stuff my way I would really love to ease that crazy load.
Please!!!!!!!!!
With love. Xx
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❤️❤️❤️ ps hope you’re enjoying the conference that was too tight to fund me adequately to attend as a speaker…
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Brave girl! Shows strength and decisive wisdom!
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I’m not sure yet if it’s wisdom or stupidity 🤣🤣🤣
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Kate take some time off and reasses your work load. You should have some assistance to sift out the important replies.
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In my dreams 😇😇😇
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Deleted e-mails are good e-mails! Congratulations on taking such a brave, self-preservation action. 300 e-mails a day are way to many for anyone.
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Thanks dear friend xx
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Good on you, Kate. I wish I could bring myself to do it, but I find it hard. Like you, I often feel overwhelmed, because I have always been very orderly and it is getting so hard to find stuff, now that my filing has gone to pot!!!! I am getting better at not looking at “everything” and dumping without reading, stuff that clearly is not important – hopefully I am not dumping good stuff as well;) Take care of yourself, Kate.
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Don’t stress about it… it only took me about three years to find the courage to manage them like this! xxx
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go for it.. I think this is fabulous. I am forever cleaning my emails out .. you are correct if people want you they will find you.. love you xxx
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Love you too xxx
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There was life before emails and if someone really needs to get in touch with you, they will find a way, right? Being decluttered is important to most of us, and anxiety as a side effect of overwhelming email and social media volume is clinically proven. I congratulate you, Kate, for taking swift and decisive action to end your stress. Bravo! We all worry too much for nothing…
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Haha, it did take me few years to get to this point Lorrie, and now I need to do it with two other email accounts! x
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You too
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Very very true Kate and it is important to worry about yourself first and not have too must on your plate and then worry/care about others
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It’s a work in progress for me, that’s for sure! Take care and have a good day Sam
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