If Your Inbox Is Always Full Of Unread Emails, You Probably Have These 11 Quirky Personality Traits
GaudiLab / Shutterstock Whether you work a corporate job or find yourself signing up for all of those emails to save 20% on your first order from that random brand you got an ad for on Instagram, inboxes become filled easily. Some people have an easy time navigating their full inbox. They carve out time and read every one of them. They might even respond to all of them, if you can believe that. However, many of us can be overwhelmed by the number of messages that add up over time.
I don’t know about you, but the homescreen on my phone always shows a large number of unread messages on the email app. Unfortunately, I remember a time when it said well over 10,000 unread emails. Everyone who peeked over my shoulder and saw that number asked me if I was okay. Of course, I was fine, just scared of the messages awaiting me in my inbox. Some of us are a bit quirky. If you’re not bothered by the amount of emails flooding your inbox, you might have some interesting personality traits. Not everyone feels like they can leave their emails unread, but if you can, you might have some traits that allow you to cope with the large number you see every day.
If your inbox is always full of unread emails, you probably have these 11 quirky personality traits
1. You're a perfectionist
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You might hear the word "perfectionist" paired with a full inbox and scratch your head. Believe it or not, if you have a hard time emptying your messages, it could be because you crave perfection. Picture this: you receive an important message from someone. You want to reply, and know you need to, but you may not even open it out of the fear of messing up a response.
Do you avoid things because you are afraid of responding poorly? You may be a perfectionist. You want to make sure you give it your all, but instead, you push it off until it becomes forgotten. If you’re worried about not responding to someone perfectly the moment you get that email, it may sit in your inbox for weeks as you put off trying to master that reply.
2. You occasionally procrastinate
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Even if you have a perfectionist mentality, you can occasionally procrastinate. Sometimes, you just don’t feel like responding to emails. You’ll procrastinate and put them off until another day. Then that extra day becomes another day, and suddenly your inbox is jammed. This is a personality trait that can be frustrating, but it’s a quirky part of life for any of us.
“Sometimes, people procrastinate because they’re feeling overwhelmed. When there are so many things to do, it can be hard to know where to start—and so people may procrastinate and not start at all,” says Deanna deBara for Simple Practice. If your inbox feels overwhelming and you’re putting it off, that’s understandable. However, eventually you’ll have to bust in there and start reading.
3. You’re afraid of deleting something important
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One of my most quirky personality traits is my fear of accidentally losing something important to me. An example I can think of in my email was information for my medical insurance. I was sent a verification number, and I was so afraid I was going to lose it that I wouldn’t read it until I needed to use it. Then, I couldn’t bring myself to delete it in case I needed it again. If that sounds familiar, you might have that same quirky trait.
Our emails, especially the ones for work, are filled with important information. Accidentally deleting something can be a disaster. I have done that at a previous job, and it felt like the end of the world. If you’re afraid you’ll end up losing something important, you may choose to stay out of your inbox entirely.
4. You can be obsessive
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Obsessive is a term that gets a bad rap. When the behavior is used for bad purposes, of course, it’s not a good trait to have. However, if you feel obsessive about the number of emails in your inbox, it’s not a negative thing. Well, it can be if it impacts your work. If you’re focused on keeping a certain number of unread emails (I know someone who does this!) or keep everything because you’re overly concerned about things, it’s a harmless but frustrating personality quirk.
“Some people save read emails for the sense of security it gives to believe they could find stuff if they needed to, but they rarely or never need to,” says Pamela B. Rutledge, Ph.D., M.B.A.. “Some of us have more tolerance for uncertainty than others. Saving emails is an unsatisfactory security blanket in the long run, however, because you have to remember so much stuff (like the subject line) in order to find a specific email.”
5. You’re easily overwhelmed
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I can relate to this personality quirk. Things can feel overwhelming to me even if they’re not that intense. Navigating a full inbox can certainly feel overwhelming. It can take a lot of time and energy to sort through a slew of emails. If you’re easily overwhelmed, it may reflect in your response to messages.
Let’s be honest, getting back to people, no matter who they are, can feel like a lot sometimes. I know I have been there. Looking at that number of unread emails can be enough to keep you from sorting through them at all. Being overwhelmed easily is a personality quirk that can show up when you have too many unread messages piled up in your inbox.
6. You have a time management strategy
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Some people can get caught up in responding to everything that comes into their inbox. By devoting so much time to this task, they miss out on things in their personal life. They are unable to balance work and life. They’ll give their job everything they can, but let their personal life suffer. If you are fine leaving a bunch of messages unread, you may have a quirky personality trait that allows you to manage time in a way that may not make sense to the average person.
People may think you have to dedicate all the time you can to reading and responding to emails. Since that task is a major part of most people’s jobs, they might accuse you of being lazy or failing to work hard. When in reality, you are navigating a quirky but helpful time management strategy.
7. You don’t mind ignoring people
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Listen, if you have a quirky personality trait that makes you comfortable ignoring people, you might be on to something. Protecting your peace is important. We have never had access to one another so easily. Having friends and family able to reach you at all times can be frustrating. When you’re comfortable ignoring people to keep time for yourself, it’s a trait that might save you some unnecessary headaches.
“We all approach information sharing and storing a bit differently and the same goes for email. Not just what we say or send, but what we keep. The ubiquity of “in-boxes” raises the question of how we manage the ones we receive. Not everyone uses email the same way, but never before in history has it been possible to have so much ‘personal contact’ from so many,” writes Pamela B. Rutledge, Ph.D., M.B.A.
8. Inbox zero means nothing to you
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I used to work for a company that had a firm inbox zero rule. Essentially, we had to read and reply to emails immediately, then quickly delete them. It was a habit I had a hard time maintaining. If you want to avoid the stress of constantly working through your inbox, you may have a quirky trait that makes having an empty inbox feel meaningless to you. You’d rather work on other tasks.
“The super efficient will have a zero tolerance policy for unread email. Most organization gurus will tell you to triage your email—deal with it during set times and determine what can be handled with a quick answer or what needs to be set aside when you have more time. The idea is not to have the unread pile gaining on you, making you crazy. Once you know you have time scheduled to review your inbox, you can move on to uninterrupted time and be more productive,” Pamela B. Rutledge, Ph.D., M.B.A.writes in her fascinating article for Psychology Today about the meaning behind our inbox activity. If this doesn’t appeal to you, you might be one of the quirky ones who can easily disconnect from their inbox.
9. You save things for reference
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Are you someone who needs to circle back to things in your inbox? I know I have felt that way. Sometimes, things need to be saved for reference. However, there is a way to organize those messages properly. If you’re one of those people who feel like they need to leave all important emails on read, your way of keeping things stored for reference might be a little quirky.
“It’s the closest thing I have to a diary,” says Harry McCracken for Fast Company, on why he saves all of his emails to look back at for reference. “Every so often, I wonder when I took a trip, attended a Broadway play, bought something, or met somebody. Much of the time, a quick search of my email tells me. Even theoretically disposable messages such as receipts for online purchases can prove to have unexpected long-term value.”
10. You have firm boundaries
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Having firm boundaries may seem quirky to some, when in reality, it is saving you from being overly drained. With access to our inboxes on our phones, it may feel like we never have a second away from our inboxes. Some people believe they have to be ‘on’ at all times, even when they are technically off the clock at work. If you have firm boundaries and can completely ignore your emails when you’re off work, you have a quirky personality trait that allows you to look past that pile of unread emails.
Having boundaries isn’t only for work. If you get a lot of emails from friends and family but struggle to respond due to feeling burnt out, you may be practicing self-care by letting that inbox number rise.
11. You feel low urgency
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A lot of people feel a sense of urgency when they get a notification. I know I can be guilty of this. When I get a new message, I want to read it immediately. If you have the quirky trait that makes notifications feel like no big deal, you are fine letting your inbox stay full of unread emails.
When we get a new email, we assume it must be something important. Most people will jump to their inbox and read what they received. In reality, most emails are far from urgent. If you’re able to rationalize this and don’t have the desire to check every notification you get on your phone, you have a rare personality trait.
Haley Van Horn is a freelance writer with a master’s degree in Humanities, living in Los Angeles. Her focus includes entertainment and lifestyle stories.
