Every January, I clear my inbox by following a specific step.

Begin your year with a fresh digital start.

I'm sitting here with a smile on my face because my inbox is empty. However, I'm not an "Inbox Zero" person, meaning I didn't read and reply to every single message. If you're unfamiliar with the term, watch this quick video for clarification.

I had 409 unread emails before I regained control. However, I have a technique for beginning each year with a fresh start. You can implement it as well!

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Clear out your inbox

Instead of organizing emails into numerous folders, consider archiving your inbox to simplify your digital clutter.

Email archiving is the process of storing all emails in a digital vault for easy access and organization. No more scrolling through a cluttered inbox!

Are you prepared to conquer email overload? Here's a speedy tutorial on how to control your inbox using the might of archiving.

Mail app icon — Archiving your inbox is the quickest way to ease your email burden going into the New Year. (Photo Illustration by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images)

Steps to archive emails in Gmail

To access your Gmail inbox on a computer, click on the "Inbox" folder on the left side of the screen.
An empty checkbox is located above your emails. Click the arrow next to it and select "All" to display the conversations on your screen.
To archive all emails in Inbox, click the "Select all" button, then click the "Archive" icon, which resembles a folder with a downward-pointing arrow.

It may take some time for Gmail to process your request, so be patient. You may need to repeat the process a few times to complete everything.

To locate an archived message, you can search by a known term or the sender's name, then hit "All Mail" to the left, under "Inbox" and other email folders.

Filters 101: How to sort your Gmail like a pro

Using Apple Mail? Here’s what to do

To archive emails on your Mac, open the Mail app and select the emails you want to stash away by clicking on them or holding down Cmd and clicking on each one.
To archive emails, click the Archive button (a small box) on your toolbar. If there is no button, click Message at the top and select Archive from the dropdown. Alternatively, you can use the shortcut Ctrl + Cmd + A to send emails directly into your archive.
To access your archived emails, navigate to the "Archive" folder in the sidebar under "Mailboxes." If you have multiple email accounts, each will have its own "Archive" folder.

How to archive emails in Microsoft Outlook

Instead of separating archived messages into a separate folder, Outlook directly saves them to a data file that can be accessed at any time.

To archive your inbox folder and all its subfolders, go to File > Cleanup Tools > Archive, then click on "Archive this folder and all subfolders" and select the desired folder.
To archive items older than a specific date, such as before 2012, select the "Include items with 'Do not AutoArchive'" option and click OK.

Emails will be moved from your inbox and subfolders to the "Archives" section.

To ensure that important emails do not get lost in spam, follow these steps.

Photo of a man that opened a phishing email. — You can archive emails in GMail, Outlook, and even Yahoo. (Photo by Peter Dazeley/Getty Images)

Got a Yahoo email? Here’s what to do

Click the dropdown arrow that appears when you hold your mouse over Inbox in the left panel, and then select Clean Your Inbox from the options.
A warning message will appear, advising you to select Archive emails. This process may take some time.

To retrieve a message from the archive, open the "Archive" folder, select the email you want, and click "Restore to Inbox."

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Worried you missed something?

Although archiving emails is different from deleting them, it's like storing them in a box. However, these emails can still be subpoenaed in legal cases. It's important to consult a lawyer for legal advice.

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