For many of us, inbox clutter isn’t just an occasional annoyance, it’s a daily reality. A recent study of email(new window) says the average adult receives 80 emails in a day, and 49% of them are expected to be spam. That works out to roughly 39 emails each day that are selling you something you never asked for (or worse, trying to scam you). This makes it harder than ever for people to find the messages that actually matter.
And with Black Friday promotions about to flood inboxes worldwide, now’s the perfect time to hit reset.
Why you need a detox from your inbox
Every day, Proton Mail handles around 40 million emails on weekdays and 25 million on weekends — that’s roughly 1.1 billion messages a month. Around Black Friday, email activity jumps by about 20%, which translates to an extra 50 million emails in just a few days.
To go back to the numbers from the study, this means you can expect an additional eight spam emails each day during Black Friday. That works out to over 100 billion promotional emails sent across the internet during the shopping weekend.
To put that in perspective, if each of those emails were a sheet of paper, the stack would reach as high as 18 and a half World Trade Center towers. The power it takes to run the servers and send all these emails creates an estimated 30,000 metric tons of CO2, the equivalent of driving an average gas-powered car over 76 million miles. That’s the same as driving around the globe over 3,000 times. All for emails that we just ignore.
Even worse, these promotions crowd out the emails that mean something. It can be impossible to find the business proposal you received, the emails from friends catching up, or the photos your family shared from your last get together when they’re buried by hundreds of “Get 20% off for a limited time!” offers.
It’s no wonder our inboxes feel overwhelming.
Your inbox should put you first
Unlike most inboxes, Proton Mail isn’t built to profit from ads, trackers, or your data. Instead, we designed Proton Mail to give you control. We’ve developed features to help you focus on what matters — not what marketers want you to see.
Here’s how to take control of your inbox before the holiday rush:
1. Unsubscribe from the noise
Promotional newsletters tend to multiply fast. With Newsletter view and one-click unsubscribe, Proton Mail makes it easy to clear out the clutter. No more scrolling to find tiny unsubscribe links hidden in the fine print.
2. Let categories do the heavy lifting
Proton Mail’s category view automatically separates your personal messages from newsletters and promos, so your inbox stays calm. Now you can quickly find what you’re actually looking for.
3. Block hidden trackers
Most marketing emails contain invisible pixels that reveal when you open them and info about your location and device. Proton Mail automatically blocks email trackers by default, so you can read privately. No marketers get to peek into your inbox.
4. Create a holiday alias
Sign up for deals without giving away your real address. Use a Hide-my-email alias for holiday offers, and simply switch it off when the sales end.
5. Archive instead of hoarding
You don’t have to keep every message in sight. Proton Mail’s fast search and archive tools mean you can store emails safely while keeping your inbox clean.
6. Bring the essentials, leave the chaos
Starting fresh? Proton’s Easy Switch lets you import what matters from Gmail or Outlook without dragging along years of old clutter.
7. Make it a family reset
Inbox calm isn’t just for adults. Show kids how to spot spam and unsubscribe safely, so their online lives stay private and manageable too.
Your digital detox starts here
A calmer, more private inbox doesn’t require a total life overhaul. Just a plan and the right tools.
This Black Friday, don’t let the flood of promo emails take over your digital space. Start your inbox detox today, and make room for what really matters.
