Mail Madness!

Mail driving you nuts?  Do you feel a sense of dread every time you hear that mail truck coming down the street or feel a sense of anxiety when it is time to retrieve it?  You aren’t alone!  Ironically, today, I’ve been hearing from a few clients about their struggles to control the dreaded mail! So I thought it time to offer some tips on how to “do” the mail to help you stop the madness.  Oh, and it can be stopped.

I think we get three types of mail — bills, mail with short (or long) term action or TO DO attached, and junk mail.  Getting the mail doesn’t have to be a major task but there are steps that should be taken every time you go to that little box with the red flag in order to avoid ensuing madness!  “Doing” the mail can take less than 2 minutes if you do it diligently, efficiently, and often.

Step one:

I am going to guess that most of your mail falls in the junk category.  {You get flyers for a sale at Macy’s (maybe a coupon attached); you get solicitations for new credit cards; you get catalogs from places you’ve never even heard of.}  When you get the mail, immediately discard the junk mail and stand over the recycle bin/trash to do so.  Whether you recycle it, burn it, shred it – doesn’t matter. Just don’t let it get past the front door.  A friend suggested to me once to enter the house after getting the mail via the garage where recycle/trash bins are and discard the junk before you enter the house.

Brilliant!

{Of course the goal is to stop that junk mail from coming into your home.  It is possible and yes, another step, I know and this post here will tell you how you can get rid of junk mail for-ever!}

Step two:

Put all your bills in your bill paying center.  Bills should be kept separate from all other mail.  I am not suggesting you have to pay your bills at this time – just put them where you will pay them. All in one spot means you can find your bills again.  You’ll be less likely to be late in paying a bill and less stressed come bill-paying time.

Doesn’t less stress sound magical?

Step three: 

Everything that requires some action (non-emergent action) should be put in one spot. Use an inbox tray or a bulletin board to post things like wedding invites with hotel directions attached.  These need to be added to your calendar and responded to.  And those flyers from your favorite store with coupons attached – that you didn’t recycle – can go in the inbox or  – better yet – in your wallet.  The goal with this step is to put those items in a home — albeit temporary — so you can address them once the kids are fed, the dog is walked and you’ve had a chance to breathe.

Breathing is good.

There is a followup to step three that really can’t be pushed aside – a verri important step:

You need to schedule administrative time each week — let’s call it… “accomplish calm” time.  I suggest you spend at least an hour a week going through paper — paying bills, responding to invites, filing things where necessary.  The more often you go through the paper that needs some action, the more time you save. This hour can be split up into 10-15 minutes each morning, or a half hour twice a week, or all at once.

Doesn’t matter! Just schedule time to deal with paper.

You’ll get into a routine, which is an important part of staying organized.

{Mini tip: if you have a “to do” that you can deal with right away — a quick phone call, a quick RSVP – do it!  Taking the less-than-43-seconds to do these little tasks makes you feel accomplished and means there is less paper hanging around your desk, waiting for your attention.}

Look, mail that piles up will overwhelm you but you are smarter than the mail.  Don’t expect chaos or anxiety where paper is concerned.  Look at it as something you can control – cause you can.  Say it to yourself or say it out loud.

Hello Paper, I control you!”

It sounds funny but sending that message to your brain says you can – and will – take control.  No more being swallowed up or overwhelmed by mail.

Bye, bye madness, hello calm!