ADHD at work

Clear an overwhelming inbox

Quick answer: Don't aim for inbox zero. Paste in subject lines, ask the AI which ones actually need you, and reply to those only.

The problem

Hundreds of unread emails. Opening the inbox feels like a threat, so you avoid it and it gets worse.

Copy, paste, go

Here are my unread email subjects and senders: [PASTE]. Group them: Needs reply today, Needs reply this week, Read later, Safe to archive. Be brief.

Write a short, friendly reply to this email. Max 3 sentences. If I need to say no or ask for more time, do it politely. [PASTE EMAIL]

Works in ChatGPT, Claude or any AI assistant. Swap the [BRACKETS] for your stuff and go.

Tools worth a look

• ChatGPT
  General AI assistant. Free tier works for every prompt here.
• Claude
  General AI assistant, good at gentle, well-structured writing.
• Goblin Tools
  Free tools built for neurodivergent people: Magic ToDo breaks tasks into steps, Formalizer rewrites tone.

Little things that help

• Set a 15-minute timer; stop when it rings.
• Archive anything older than a month that nobody chased.
• Don't paste confidential work email into AI tools your employer hasn't approved.

Related fixes

• Plan a realistic day (time blindness)
• Break a big project into small steps
• AI tools for ADHD at work: a short, practical list
• Beat task paralysis at work

FAQ

How can AI help me deal with inbox overwhelm?

Don't aim for inbox zero. Paste in subject lines, ask the AI which ones actually need you, and reply to those only.