Getting email to empty seems impossible for me.
I have about 300 unread emails, some in 2 personal accounts, some in a work account.

Yes, I have set up the folder system and rules so that specific list serves go to the specific folders. I rarely delete these and have become numb to the whole system. I spent one 8 hour day at a coffee shop doing nothing but filing and/or deleting old emails back to 2008. Yes I have created the Action/Reference folders, put some emails there and have never opened the folders. This has become such a problem that the only satisfaction I get when checking an account of folder is when I can delete something I know is trash. So many list serves are replies back channel, and then another email apologizing for the reply all instead of replying back channel. This turns me off and gives me an excuse not to open many.

This is such a mess. Has anyone come out from under this much back log without changing your email address and just starting fresh? I am too afraid to delete everything older than a year because I don't even know what it is or if I'll ever need to use it. For example, I have a file that says "unsorted" which I created in 2009. Although I've never opened it, I can't bring myself to delete it.

Am I beyond help?