Category: Nurse Life

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Inbox Zero Doesn’t (Necessarily) Mean You Had a Productive Day

(Especially for Managers)

I used to feel this pressure that if I didn’t get to inbox zero, I hadn’t really had a productive day.

It didn’t matter what else I did—if emails were left unanswered, it felt like I was behind.

Back when I was working as a manager, I’d stay late trying to catch up. After hours of managing my team, peer conversations, problem-solving, and on-the-fly decision-making… I was still measuring the day by whether or not I’d cleared my inbox.

It makes sense in a way. We’re trained to check things off, keep up, and not let things slip through the cracks.

But at some point, I realized: Inbox zero is a nearly impossible to obtain moving target.
And chasing it was costing me my energy—and my confidence.

Inbox Zero Is Like Laundry

Let’s be honest:
Your inbox is like your laundry basket.
You clear it, and it fills up again.
Not because you’re failing—but because you’re a human working with other humans.

In management especially, email is constant.
People need things. They’re sharing updates, asking questions, flagging issues.
There’s always more.

And yet… many of us have internalized the idea that inbox zero = success.
So if we don’t hit it? We feel behind, disorganized, or even (especially!) guilty.

It’s a Pattern I See Often

Someone spends the whole day catching up on emails—feeling busy, even overwhelmed—and yet walks away thinking, “What did I even do today?”

Can you relate?

It’s one of the sneakiest thought patterns I coach people on:
You worked hard all day. You were on your feet, using your brain, solving problems.
But if the inbox isn’t empty, your brain tells you: “You didn’t do enough.”

So Let’s Ask a Better Question

What if inbox zero isn’t the point?

What if the better question is:

  • On a scale of 1–10, how productive do you feel today?
  • Did you do your best, given what the day threw at you?
  • What did you do that mattered—even if it wasn’t visible?

Try writing it down:

  • Helped a coworker navigate a crisis
  • Checked in on a struggling patient
  • Made sure an important task didn’t slip through the cracks
  • Had a thoughtful conversation with someone who really needed it
  • Avoided snapping when you were short on time and energy

Those don’t show up in your inbox.
But they’re the reason you’re valuable (and good at your job).

You Get to Redefine a “Good” Day

When I finally stopped measuring success by how many emails I answered, things changed.

I could feel proud of my day without needing to finish every single task.
I could actually rest, because I wasn’t tying my worth to a number that was designed to reset tomorrow.

You deserve that, too.

You don’t have to earn rest, pride, or peace by clearing your inbox.
Especially in healthcare—where the real work happens off-screen.

Want Support Redefining What Productivity Means to You

If you’re tired of measuring your value by how many messages you cleared—and still walking away feeling behind, frazzled, or frustrated—I can help.

I coach nurses and healthcare professionals who want to feel more calm, clear, and in control—without quitting their jobs or adding more to their plate.

If you work at Logan Health,

You have access to confidential 1:1 coaching through your benefits.
Click here to schedule your free session.

Not a hospital employee?

Book a complimentary consultation here.
Let’s talk about what’s getting in your way—and what life could look like instead.

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The Two Kinds of Tired (and How to Tell the Difference)

You’re tired. Of course you are.

Long shifts. Tight staffing. Patients in pain. Charting that never seems to end.

But here’s the thing: not all tired is the same.

There’s the kind of tired that means you need to go to bed. Full stop. No phone, no Netflix, no late-night scrolling. You need a real nap, or an actual full night of sleep. The kind of rest that lets your body reset.

And then there’s the kind of tired that comes from thinking, “I’m so tired.”

You think it all day long. Between patients. On the drive home. Standing in your kitchen staring into the fridge. It loops in your brain like a song stuck on repeat.

The more you think it, the more exhausted you feel.

And it’s not fake. It’s just a different kind of tired.

Mental tiredness matters. But here’s the twist: it’s often self-created by our thinking—and it responds to a different kind of care.

So how do you know which tired you’re dealing with?

Start with what I lovingly call your B.S.-O-Meter.

Be honest: are you really tired? Or are you kind of B.S.-ing yourself?

Here are two questions that can help:

  1. Do I need to go to bed right now?
    If the answer is yes, then go to bed. To sleep. Not to lay down and scroll. You’ll be amazed what 20 minutes of real rest can do.
  2. If my spouse walked in right now and said, “Pack your bags—we’re leaving in an hour for a week-long all-inclusive trip to Fiji,” would I still be too tired… or would I rally and make it happen?

That question is a surprisingly effective gut check.

If you’d find the energy to grab your passport and toss clothes in a bag, it’s probably not physical exhaustion—it’s mental overload.

And if you wouldn’t? That’s a cue your body really is really and truly asking for rest.

You can trust yourself to know what you need.

You’ve been doing hard things for a long time. You know how to listen to your body. You know when your brain is the one keeping you stuck.

The next time you catch yourself repeating, “I’m so tired,” ask again:
Is this physical fatigue? Or is it mental weight I’ve been carrying around all day?

Then do the kindest thing for yourself.

That’s how you start to feel better. That’s how you build trust with yourself. That’s how you reclaim your energy—one honest check-in at a time.

P.S. Coaching helps with this. I teach nurses how to hear themselves clearly and get their energy back—mentally and physically. If you’re a Logan Health employee, this is already a benefit you have access to. If you’re not, book a consult (grab any time that works for you here) to chat about what working together could look like.