How I Recovered from Vacation in Half the Time: Inbox Rules, Action Items & Copilot Summaries

I took a week off, and if you saw my previous post, I made a real effort to step away this time. I stayed available for escalations, but day-to-day? I let my Inbox Rules and Microsoft Copilot handle it.

Coming back from vacation used to feel like a punishment—hundreds of unread emails, missed meetings, and a calendar ready to overwhelm me. This time, I tried something different, and it cut my re-entry time in half.

1️⃣ Inbox Rules Did the Heavy Lifting

Before leaving, I set up my Inbox Rule System:

• Action Now: Immediate responses or decisions
• Read Later: Newsletters, reports, and FYIs
• Follow-Up: Items needing tracking or delayed responses
• Archive: Auto-filed to keep my inbox clean

When I returned, I skipped inbox triage and went straight to Action Now, focusing on what mattered first.

2️⃣ Microsoft Copilot Summaries

Copilot became my shortcut to relevance. Instead of digging through threads or rewatching meetings, Copilot gave me quick, context-rich summaries—highlighting key decisions, discussions, and even surfacing tasks assigned to me while I was out.

This alone cut hours from my catch-up time. I wasn’t just reading emails—I was instantly up to speed and ready to re-engage.

Takeaway:

By combining Inbox Rules with Microsoft Copilot, I turned what used to be a stressful re-entry into a streamlined reset. Less overwhelm, faster context, and immediate focus on what mattered most.

How do you catch up quickly after time off?

#Productivity #MicrosoftCopilot #InboxZero #WorkSmarter #Focus #MichaelEarls