I have two folders. Archive and Reference. The reference folder contains emails with information I may need to glance at for information. This folder gets a monthly cleaning and the emails I no longer need to reference for information are moved to the archive folder. The archive folder contains all emails I need to keep which does not include junk mail, lunch invitations or jokes.

When I process my inbox, any email that is actionable is forwarded to an actual productivity app and handled there. This is where I work and not in my email client. I practice GTD so my app of choice is Zendone. There are many options out there for you to choose based on how you work. Quit trying to use email for getting things done and you can take control of it.