Bugs in your mail client (and you yourself) can cause messages to be sent unfinished, without attachments, or with tone and content you regret immediatly on clicking send. A simple rule that delays sending of your mail by only one minute can help avoid all these email faux pas.
Here’s how to fix Outlook 2003:
- Tools > Rules and Alerts
- New Rule
- Start from a blank rule.
- Check messages after sending. Next
- Don’t select anything (apply to all messages) Next (accept the prompt)
- Defer delivery to a number of minutes. 1 min is the minimum – should be enough to catch the accidental sends and the ones you immediately regret
 Next - Don’t add any expections. Next
- Name the rule something like “Delay send for 1 minute”. Tick turn on rule.
- Finish.
Initially you may find waiting a minute to see your message leave your outbox stressful. Relax. Remember – you used to have to wait for a courier even for the most urgent messages. If it’s REALY urgent, why are you sending an email. Get on the phone.
