It seems like I've been writing about Gmail a lot lately. I don't mean to give other Web-based email applications the cold shoulder, but as I spend more time with Gmail, I learn more and more ways to tackle my inbox. For me, e-mail continues to be a blessing and a curse. In some ways, it increases my personal productivity. But unread messages haunt me at work the way piles of dirty laundry haunt me at home. I have to deal with it at some point, but it just keeps getting pushed aside for more immediate, must-do-now tasks.

I know I am not alone in my struggle. Yesterday I was talking to a radio journalist about a story we were working on. He asked me to send him a document and then clarified, "Don't send it to my address at the station. I just delete all those messages."  Then he recited his preferred e-mail address on Yahoo.

If you surf the Web looking for tips on how to tackle e-mail overload, there's no shortage of good advice. Some of it's right here on Real Simple. This week, Google released it's "How to Become a Gmail Ninja" tip sheet and I have to say, it's packed with tricks and tools for getting the most out of Gmail. Since checking it out earlier this week, I have recommended the tip sheet to several of my colleagues. You can download a printable version of the guide here. Google was giving away laminated copies, but I hear they were all snapped up in a matter of minutes.

Do you have a good handle on your inbox? Any favorite tips or tricks to share?