Sifting through emails isn't exactly an exciting task.
Whether it’s a last-minute request from a coworker, a bill pay reminder, or just yet another spammy sale email from that one online clothing site that you can never remember to actually unsubscribe from, facing a crowded inbox can cause more stress than we’d like.
We know that too many emails can be distracting—or overwhelming—and can mess with your productivity in more ways than one. Maybe they cause you to go down a scrolling and shopping rabbit hole when you click into an email from your favorite store. Or maybe you constantly spend time deleting all of those unnecessary additions to your inbox.
Not to mention, when there's too much in your inbox, it's kind of hard to keep track of the good stuff or to find the emails that may be important.
All of that to say: we understand why you might be hesitant to follow the advice in this article, but stay with us—there are plenty of genuinely helpful emails you can sign up for that are worth the extra inbox traffic. We promise we won’t lead you astray!
We’ve rounded up email newsletters that we think you'll love.
Why? Well, because they’ll actually enhance your inbox (and your life). Some of these emails will keep you informed, some will provide interesting essays and food for thought, some will inspire your next meal, and some will simply brighten your day with funny pop culture anecdotes or interesting links from around the internet. It's like curating your favorite kind of content and having it regularly delivered.
The following email lists help us stay up to date on the news—and keep us entertained through the kind of writing we actually want to read. Here are a few of our favorites.
1. The Daily Good
The Daily Good is a daily newsletter brought to you by The Good Trade, the premier online destination for conscious men and women—covering everything from responsible fashion, beauty, wellness, travel, and lifestyle. This daily 30-second read is delivered to your inbox every morning with helpful recommendations for living consciously. On any given day, it might include a playlist, a positive story, or an inspiring product.
Overall, The Daily Good newsletter delivers videos, articles, products, insights, and more to help you move towards social good. Let each delivery leave you more informed and inspired about the good things.
2. The Assist
The Assist is a weekly email newsletter that focuses on improving your life in manageable ways. With an emphasis on "assisting" readers through actionable life tips that range the gamut from professional to personal, The Assist provides the opportunity to learn and grow in digestible, quick reads. Past newsletters have included advice on stress management, understanding KPIs, and more.
Plus, The Assist's editors round up some fun entertaining highlights as well, like Netflix movie recs and seasonal outfit inspiration. This newsletter is the perfect combo of useful and fun.
3. The Morning
The New York Times sends a daily newsletter to subscribers every morning, aptly called The Morning. It's always a quick read, but it contains in-depth explanations of the latest news so that you can stay informed.
The Morning starts with a more in-depth look at one of the most relevant news headlines and then provides bulleted one-liners that explain what you need to know about the other top stories of that day.
Plus, it includes some interesting extras in the "Play, Watch, Eat" section, like popular Times recipes to try out and links to funny clips from people like Trevor Noah. Journalist David Leonhardt writes and curates it each day, and we think he manages to make even the most complex stories understandable and quick to read. If you're looking for an easy way to get the news (with a few extras thrown in), it's a great resource.
4. Cup of Jo
We're big fans of Cup of Jo around here. Joanna Goddard is the founder and editor, and she and her team run what we think is one of the best corners of the internet. If you doubt us, just spend a few minutes scrolling through the comments section on some of the most popular articles.
The longer-form essays on Cup of Jo usually discuss universal topics through detailed stories, and they just about always strike a nerve (in a good way). With poignant blog posts ranging from topics like (actually helpful) marriage advice and managing a lost friendship to fun roundup-style posts that feature book recommendations and recipes, it's a great daily read.
Cup of Jo sends out a weekly newsletter that features what their team is reading, the latest on the Cup of Jo blog, reviews of new products, and other fun tidbits. It's a fun, fast read that's likely to make your day that much brighter.
5. Daily Skimm
Daily Skimm is the daily newsletter from theSkimm' that breaks down what you need to know news-wise into quick articles that you can literally "skim." True to their name, they keep the content short and sweet so that it's easy to take in during a short period of time.
They cover the relevant news headlines as well as some pop culture, entertainment, and sports updates—really, whatever everyone's talking about that day—so that you can stay informed without getting bogged down during your busy morning rush. It's the perfect email newsletter to sit down with while you enjoy that first cup of coffee without feeling like you'll have to devote too much time from your morning routine.
6. The Hustle
Geared toward young professionals, especially those in the business or tech worlds, you're likely to really gain some knowledge and enjoyment from The Hustle newsletter. Just the name alone gets us excited because the content is really that good.
The Hustle sends an email each morning with the lowdown on all the top tech news, business, and culture stories of the day. The writers at The Hustle adopt a bold, honest, and sometimes even humorous voice to inform their readers of what they need to know and how it affects them. They include an "Around the Web" section, too, that rounds up historical anecdotes, useful advice, and articles that they just found plain interesting.
It’s concise, engaging, and researched—perfect for those of us who are on a tight schedule but still want to stay informed. Subscribe here.
7. Life Kit
If you listen to NPR's Life Kit podcast (or follow NPR on Instagram), you know that the "life kit" information they provide is genuinely helpful—and often different from the other news-y resources out there. The Life Kit writers and editors focus on all sorts of topics, like how to listen more effectively, how to bake pies, how to look for a new apartment, and so much more.
Like their podcast, their weekly newsletter is an ideal mix of interpersonal and intrapersonal content alongside actual how-to advice, and we think it's arguably one of the best newsletters out there. We learned from them how to remove red wine stains and some helpful tips on how to handle matrescence. They really do cover it all.
8. Working Woman's Food
If you've been stressed from just thinking about what to fix for dinner, and scouring the recipes on Pinterest has become more overwhelming than inspiring, Patricia Gamboa's Working Woman's Food daily newsletter may help. Every morning, she sends out a recipe that can be made in roughly 30 minutes, and they often include ingredients that you're likely to have on hand.
We're always here for more recipe inspo, especially if they don't take forever to prepare. This subscription may take one more thing off of your plate (ha) and allow you to take the time to enjoy a home cooked meal with your friends or family, even after a busy work day.
9. The Marginalian
The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings) is a “one-woman labor of love” founded and run by writer Maria Popova. The word "labor" is not used lightly here. Popova pours hours into this project to produce thought-provoking, insightful, and addicting articles on topics in art, science, psychology, design, philosophy, history, politics, anthropology, and more. She values creativity and utilization of the human mind to connect ideas together and expand its own capabilities. What a rush!
The Marginalian newsletter will make you want to curl up with a cup of tea and a plush blanket, and you really will feel smarter after just a few reads. Her thought-provoking essays simultaneously feel like history lessons and beautiful pieces of writing that are relevant to your own life. Sign up for Sunday morning newsletters here to see the week’s best articles.
10. Ann Friedman Weekly
Another Friday treat! Journalist, writer, and entrepreneur Ann Friedman provides some spunk to your inbox at the end of every working week. Her newsletters include articles and books she’s reading, gifs, or “gifspiration,” links to her own work (like her successful “real talk” podcast “Call Your Girlfriend”), what she endorses, and what readers submit to endorse. Nothing smarmy—just good honest places to go, things to see, events to attend, and the like. Sign up here for her weekly goodies. You won't regret it.
11. Lit Hub
If you're a fan of Oxford American, The Paris Review, or any other literary sites, you'll definitely enjoy a daily dose of Literary Hub. They're a media platform that features everything books- and writing-related. They have a section for literary criticism that includes looks at old works alongside timely essays that dive into modern topics like why Ted Lasso loves books. They provide all sorts of book roundups, like what nonfiction pieces to read this year, the latest in children's books, and more. They publish interviews with prominent literary voices with a range of perspectives that include interesting stories that are not to be missed.
Reading the Lit Hub newsletter feels like walking into a cozy, dim, perfectly-curated bookstore with an expert to guide you to the section that contains your interests—but it's all through email. Their email is a must for the book-lovers and avid readers among us.
12. The Broadsheet
Big financial publications often skew male—male audiences, male editors, male bias in topic coverage. Thankfully, Fortune decided it was going to actually do something about that (kudos, dudes!). Thus The Broadsheet was born. The newsletter, which highlights "the world's most powerful women," is run by Fortune and it rounds up the best articles around the web on every topic.
The Broadsheet features easy-to-read bullet points that expand on topics from gender bias in machine learning to the fact that women of color are exposed to more chemicals in their beauty products than white women are. It's not always pretty, but it's always enlightening.
13. Read a Girl
Read a Girl is a newsletter created by journalist Renata Miranda, who noticed that most of what she was reading was written by men. With a hope to change that and to amplify female voices, she created Read a Girl, where her goal is to "bring to light the work of amazing writers, who, sometimes, get overshadowed by their gender."
The Read a Girl monthly newsletter highlights Miranda's discussion or review of one book or short story by a female author. It's an easy way to learn about these types of important stories—and to add some pieces by female writers to your must-read list.
14. Hung Up
If you love to follow all things pop culture, writer and journalist Hunter Harris's newsletter, Hung Up, should be your go-to. Harris explains that Hung Up is about "the idea of personal obsessions" and what she's feeling "hung up" on at the time. Whether that means the latest social media trend or a discussion of a television series or new film (she even does Succession Power Rankings!), Hunter's experience as a pop culture journalist offers an interesting (and often funny) perspective.
Reading Hung Up feels like reading your really smart and funny friend's commentary on pop culture. It's relatable, it's insightful, and it's just fun.
15. Career Contessa
What’s wrong with a little shameless self-promotion? You know you’re ambitious, and we know we want to help you, so it’s really a win-win. We send out weekly emails that contain the kind of advice you know and trust us for, along with some "extras" like a list of things we're reading, listening to, buying, and generally loving.
We hate junky emails (hello, hence this fabulous list) so you have nothing to worry about. We'll just send valuable career advice to help guide you to be your best professional self. Give us a try here.
