The dreaded 0-10 scale is a somewhat arbitrary tool used to measure pain. What does it even mean? There is no standard, no way to calibrate it to objectively measure a patient’s experience.
Even if we only compare it to their earlier ratings, it doesn’t hold a value as to what is tolerable and what is not. Many of my patients who suffer with chronic pain consistently rate their pain >7/10 and yet may not feel that it is intolerable until it reaches 9/10. Others may find that a level of 5/10 is the threshold for true interference in their ability to get through their day.
Either way, we ask the question, check the box, and move on to more meaningful conversations.
But what if the poor 0-10 scale could be reborn into a powerful tool to make changes in our own lives? What if it could give us insight into not only what is holding us back but what can move us forward?
Intrigued? I hope so 😊
Let’s start with why this approach is important, what it has to do with job satisfaction, with health and wellness, with burnout prevention?
What happens when work is tough, when you come home exhausted?
Everything else seems harder to obtain. The goals that seemed so important in the morning, or on the weekend, or on January 1st seem too insurmountable. You can’t get going on them and then frustration sets in and it can be easy to resent the job that made you so tired in the first place.
While some strategies will address the fatigue associated with the hard work we do, this one focuses on decreasing the impact that it can have on our motivation to move forward with our other goals.
And it can start 0-10/10. This little scale can get us going.
Here’s how.

Identify the goal that you have, any goal that is important to you. Maybe it’s to spend more time with your family, get healthier, sleep better, exercise, go back to school or learn something new… whatever would complete the sentence,
“I wish I could just get myself to….”
Once you have the goal identified, rate where you are on a scale of 0-10 in regard to that goal. For ease of explanation, I will use health as an example but for each question, switch it out with your goal.
On a scale of 0-10, where would you rate your health?
Why did you pick that number?
Why not a higher number?
Why not a lower number?
This will show you 3 things: where you are now, what you think the things are that you need to work on (the higher numbers) and what your strengths are (why you aren’t a lower number).
Let’s rate health a 5/10.
First, paint yourself a picture of what a 10/10 looks like. There has to be a reference point. What would YOU look like if your health was a 10/10.
Only you can identify this, after all, the scale is still subjective.
Why not a 10/10? Maybe you have weight to lose, high cholesterol, hypertension or diabetes. These are not judgments, just starting points. Maybe you know that it is important to resistance train, but you aren’t doing that. Maybe you want to cut back on alcohol or sugar intake, but you haven’t successfully done that yet. And maybe, just maybe, one of these days you are actually going to hit 100grams of protein consumption in a day.
But why aren’t you lower than a 5/10 (AKA what is going right?) Maybe you walk 3 days a week and are good at getting enough sleep. Maybe you are working on making healthier dinners or eating more fruit. It is just as important to acknowledge that you aren’t starting from nowhere.
Once you know your obstacles and your strengths, we are going to take this one step further. Rather than shooting for a 10/10, which sounds incredibly stressful and unobtainable, ask yourself, “what would move me from a 5/10 to a 6/10?”
You will be amazed at your own wisdom, at your ability to identify the next best step (it only has to be a small one), after all a step from 5 to 5.5 or 6 isn’t THAT big of a deal. Even if we only move up one number, our brains recognize moving up one point as an achievement, an achievement that comes complete with its own dopamine hit…and dopamine is motivating 😊.
Believe it or not, the silly little 0-10 scale can give us back agency in our lives.
Yes, work can be exhausting, the work is hard AND important, but this strategy can allow us to move forward with the things we want in our lives despite coming home tired.
On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to try this?
I know exactly how hard it is to feel like work is taking all your energy. If this is something you struggle with, reach out. You don't have to wait until you are at the end of your rope to make meaningful change. Reach out and we can schedule a time to explore working together. Megan@nursingbeyondthejob.com
6 weeks is all it takes to start to heal AND to gain the skills to keep moving forward. You're not alone.
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