It's not uncommon to hear people complain about receiving dozens, even hundreds of emails a day. It's stressful and depressing.
I've always applied a "zero inbox" approach: whatever is in my inbox needs my attention, otherwise it gets quickly deleted or placed in a folder.
I have only one rule of automation: if the word "unsubscribe" is present in the body of the message, it goes into a "Newsletters" folder. I also systematically unsubscribe from what I don't want.
For the past few days, I've been receiving barely a dozen emails a day. Of course, the withdrawal from consulting and the end of the semester has a lot to do with it... It's an awkward feeling, almost like being cut off a drug. But I feel free!
#productivity