What are the Different Methods for Organizing Mail?

There are a few different methods for organizing mail that can be effective, depending on the amount of time that one has during the day, as well as the types of mail that are received. In general, it is important to have a designated area for mail, both at home or in the office. It will be impossible to effectively develop methods for organizing mail if it is scattered in different places around the house, so begin by choosing a designated space for the mail and sticking to it. Purchasing a small organizational box or tray for the mail can also be helpful for some people, while others do not find it to be necessary.

A mail organization system may only have two slots, one for incoming mail and one for outgoing mail, or it may have additional slots for mail that needs to be filed or processed. Some people find this to be very helpful, while others find that organizing mail in a box like this can make it easier to forget about something important and allow the mail to pile up. It may be necessary to simply try this method for a few weeks and see how it works. There are a number of different organizational systems that may be purchased in stores, some of which are designed to sit on a desk or table, and others that mount on a wall for those with limited space.

The next step for organizing mail is to determine when the mail will be sorted. Some people find that it is best to sort and open the mail each day, placing each type of mail in a specified place. For example, bills to be paid might remain on one's desk, whereas items to be filed can be placed in another area until one has time to file them. Junk mail can be sorted and recycled as necessary. Other people find that they only have time to go through the mail once or twice per week; in this case, one might quickly look through the mail to determine if anything needs immediate attention, and leave the rest of it in the chosen mail area until the designated day.

Cutting down on the amount of junk mail one receives can be helpful when organizing mail as well. Contact the companies that send junk mail and ask to be removed from the list. A file cabinet for records, and a shredder for junk and old bills that contain personal information can also be invaluable. Organizing mail is important, because it will help to ensure that items are not missed; each person's system may be different, but sorting the mail this way can be a great first step to conquering clutter in the rest of the home or office.