60 Seconds to tame your inbox
I'll be honest - I only stumbled across this Outlook feature last week when I was scrolling through my TikTok feed. But it's been a game-changer, and I wish I'd discovered it years ago.😏
If you're like most people, you've returned from the summer break to find your inbox absolutely bursting. Hundreds of emails, all clamouring for attention. And somewhere in that digital haystack is the one message you actually need to action first.
✨Here's the thing:✨
Most of us know we should be better at inbox management, but when we are under pressure it's easy to miss those truly important emails.
Make those important emails more visible👀
Did you know Outlook lets you automatically change the FONT, colour, or style of emails from specific senders? Imagine every email from your accountant appearing in bold red, or messages from your key client highlighted in blue. Suddenly, those critical emails jump out at you, even in a crowded inbox.
The first email was sent in 1971 by Ray Tomlinson between two computers sitting side by side. The message? Likely just "QWERTYUIOP" – a forgettable test string he never bothered recording. Yet this small experiment revolutionised global communication. Tomlinson also introduced the @ symbol we still use today.
60 SECONDS TO SET IT UP
Open Outlook and go to the View tab
Click View Settings
Select Conditional Formatting
Click Add to create a new rule
Give your rule a name (e.g., "Jane Doe")
Click Font to choose your colour, style, or size
Click Condition to set up your criteria
Go to the From tab and add the sender's email address
Click OK on all windows to save
You can create multiple rules for different senders, or even for emails containing specific words in the subject line.
It's a small thing, really - takes maybe 60 seconds to set up. But those are often the tasks that make the biggest difference when you're drowning in digital clutter.
Worth a try? Follow me for belated Outlook hacks that I stumble across on TikTok 😜
