A few months ago, in a digital cleansing moment of clarity, I decided that I wanted to have a zero-email inbox. Scanning through the emails that were cluttering my inbox, I began to notice a clear pattern. Many of them represented procrastination and indecision. 

Every day I was opening my inbox and entering a space where progress and action had come to die. Apart from the few emails that were genuinely awaiting responses, the rest were things I could probably action in five minutes but avoided. Some things were labelled with various beautiful colours but they still served no purpose beyond taking up space in my inbox and mind.

As a strategist and practitioner who helps people streamline their personal and professional lives, my own inbox was an embarrassing affront to productivity. Interestingly, despite the many social media tools that exist today, emails are still an invaluable method of communication - either for receiving information or sharing information with clients.

However, I had disconnected my inbox from the tools I use to organise information, consolidate tasks and interact with clients. More importantly, it was no longer supporting how I understand and manage my business.

Rest has become my word of the year. In a culture that glorifies constant doing, many of us are tired yet struggle to stop. This piece explores what happens when productivity starts to cost us our health, clarity and connection, and why rest is not indulgence but essential maintenance.

The more time I spend on this planet, the more I have come to really appreciate communication. I have also come to realise that good, clear communication is an underrated ability and underused skill. What causes us to miscommunicate and how do we improve our interactions?