Being Active for Stress Reduction....

Being active sets a positive tone for the week ahead. Whether it’s going for a run, hiking, biking, or engaging in a group sport, the benefits are numerous. Physically, exercise helps improve cardiovascular health, strengthens muscles, and boosts endurance. Mentally, it can elevate your mood due to the release of endorphins, reduce stress, and enhance focus and clarity.

In addition to traditional workouts, exploring new activities can also be a refreshing way to spend your Sunday. For instance, you might consider trying yoga, joining a dance class, or even participating in a community sports event. These not only provide a great physical challenge but also a chance to meet new people and socialize, which can be equally rewarding.

                                  Source Link and Credits for Video

Moreover, integrating nature into your active days can further enhance your experience. A leisurely walk or jog in a local park, or a hike in a nearby nature reserve, allows you to reconnect with the outdoors, which is often energizing and refreshing. The sights and sounds of nature can elevate your mood and make any physical activity feel more enjoyable.

One of the best parts of being active is that it gives you a sense of accomplishment. After dedicating some time to yourself, it’s often easier to transition into the week with a clear mind and a more positive outlook. You may find that you are more productive at work or in other aspects of your life after a refreshing weekend.

Additionally, creating a routine around your workouts can help establish a lasting habit. Maybe you’ll invite friends to join you, turning it into a social event. Or perhaps you’ll set specific goals to achieve each week, such as improving your running time or mastering a new skill in your chosen sport.

Credits-https://nurseslabs.com/fit-nurse-5-types-workout-exercises-nurses-need/

So, whether it’s hitting the gym, participating in a recreational sports league, or simply enjoying an active day outdoors, embracing this approach can significantly benefit both your physical and emotional health. Keep prioritizing those active moments—you'll definitely feel the difference!

***What are some of the ways you keep active and energized?

Resources:https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/work-environment/health-safety/combating-stress/

https://online.regiscollege.edu/blog/stress-management-for-nurses/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4664060/

https://online.qmu.ac.uk/blogs/what-are-the-effects-of-stress-on-nurses/#:~:text=High%20levels%20of%20stress%20is,can%20greatly%20strain%20health%20services.

https://www.clinicaladvisor.com/news/burnout-and-stress-continue-to-plague-the-nursing-profession/

Top 5 Ways Nurses Can Promote Well-being for Themselves and Others.....

 

Nursing can be a stressful profession as we all know. Nurses must deal with different personalities of patients and colleagues, patients’ significant others, difficult situations, emergencies, life and death, and disease processes. Just reading this sentence made me feel stressed and overwhelmed. So why would someone choose to go into the nursing profession?
Nurses are those people who feel confident knowing how to work with different personality types. They want to help others and assist in overcoming challenges. They make a positive impact on someone’s life and feel excited having made a huge difference, which is extremely rewarding. Of course we have heard the saying that the most treasured thing we have in life is our health. When people are sick, they can only think of the value and significance of health and nurses are there to assist them in regaining their health, making them more comfortable by being there.
So how do nurses cope? I know that there have been times when I have felt stressed and overwhelmed, wanting to be able to do more, wanting to have more time, wanting to have more assistance and wanting to reverse the circumstances and make it ‘all better’ for someone. I am sure there are a myriad of reasons why people go into the nursing profession. As nurses, we have seen things that some people never see in their lifetime. So how do we cope? I have learned that a very important point is to be “selfish”! Now please look at this word in a positive way. I want to say that we must take care of ourselves and then we are able to care for others. So what things can we do for ourselves to promote our own well-being?

1. Have Fun! Take the time to enjoy yourself on your time off. What do you enjoy doing? Do you enjoy hiking, skiing, biking, walking  your dog, working out, reading, movies, plays, playing with your children or grandchildren, swimming, dancing, art, jewelry making or other hobbies or activities?
   
   Schedule activities for yourself just like you do your work. You deserve it!
    
2. Practice positive communication in your thoughts and in your verbal and written correspondence. When you frame sentences in a positive way, it will have amazing results in how you feel and even in outcomes. A client of mine says that whenever she is running late to an appointment, she now says to herself that she is going to be there on time, safely, and even have a few minutes to spare. She tells me she is early most of the time.
    
3. Laugh on purpose. Find the funny things in life. Just last night a friend of mine started laughing because I had a piece of popcorn in my hair. I laughed along with her.
   
   Watch funny programs and do fun activities that promote laughter. We can make our own circus.
    
4. Enjoy every moment and live in the present. This means focusing on the here and now and forgetting about worrying about the future, because worrying is actually focusing on what you don’t want to have happen. Focus on what you do want to have happen. You can talk about what you want, visualize what you want, make a collage of what you want in your life, write in your journal and read books about people who have done what you want in your life. This makes it more real for you. When you know that it can happen for someone else then you know that it is possible.
    
5. Tell yourself that amazing things happen every day and they can happen for you as well.
   
   Celebrate little things. I received a free cup of coffee, a free doggie wash, a free lunch and a free 2 hour CEU class just last week. I am abundant I say to myself and I know more will continue to happen. We must celebrate for ourselves. It is fun. It brings laughter and a smile. Keep a journal of all the wonderful things that are happening in your life and then when you need to, you can go back and read and remember all the fun things that happened and will continue to happen.
   
   You can have a new motto, I am Abundant! I Celebrate every day. People around you will notice how much fun you are to be around and they will tell you that they like being around you.
   
   HAVE FUN! SMILE! When you smile more, others will smile more also.

About the Author: Joyce Hyam, RN, BSN, PHN, MPA/HSA, is a certified trainer/speaker/coach/consultant/author who teaches Positive Mindset-Positive Communication-Positive Culture-Positive Rapport Building-Happiness strategies to promote wellbeing. Joyce uses accelerated learning techniques so all communication styles will relate to the material and can begin to use it immediately. She has a BSN from the City University of New York and a Masters in Public Administration with a specialty in Organizational Development from the University of San Francisco. She founded a successful organization which was sold to a venture capital firm.

A New Nurse for a New Year...

 

 

According to the American Psychological Association, weight loss, smoking cessation and increasing exercise are the top three New Year’s resolutions in America.
But do New Year’s resolutions really work and change unhealthy behaviors in individuals? Sometimes they do. Those who make resolutions are ten times more likely to successfully change their behavior than those who do not partake in resolutions. Even though that means about 60 percent of people drop their resolutions by the six-month mark, some come back to the resolution in the following years to finally achieve success.
Nurses, are you planning on making a New Year’s resolution this year? If so, here are five tips to increase your chances of success.

1. Have a clear objective. Examples of clear objectives are: “Lose weight for my vacation in March” or “Increase my energy level so that I can play more with the kids.
    
2. Make your goal realistic. “Lose 2-3 pounds every week” or “Eat 5 fruits and vegetables servings a day” are realistic goals, while “Lose 20 pounds in two weeks” would be an unrealistic goal.
    
3. Enjoy what you choose to do to meet your goal. If you don’t enjoy the process to reach the goal, chances are that you will quit. For example, choose healthy foods you enjoy and participate in an exercise program that you look forward to, not dread.
4. 
    
5. Remove the obstacles and make it convenient. For example, pack healthful foods in your bag for when you get the munchies and might be tempted to grab unhealthy foods or a cigarette, or pack a pair of tennis shoes in your bag for impromptu opportunities to walk.
   
6. Expect setbacks. Make a pact with yourself that if you stray from the plan, you will jump right back into it, and will not get overly discouraged. Remind yourself that it’s more important to stay on the plan “more often than not”, than to stick with the plan 100% perfectly.
7.  

May this year be your year to succeed in all you set out to accomplish!
Happy 2012, Nurses!


About the Author: Alice Burron is an affiliate spokesperson and highly successful personal trainer for the American Council on Exercise. She earned a master’s in physical education with an emphasis in exercise physiology from the University of Wyoming and is a leading national fitness and wellness program expert.

BREATHE: A Short Guide to Self-care for the Caregiver

 

 

Nurses are notorious for giving of ourselves until we can’t give any more. We are still mostly women and we are mostly mothers, which even compounds the ‘caregiving’ overload. We have to find ways to care for ourselves so we can re-energize and have the capacity to do the things we do. Every time I sit on an airplane and listen to the flight attendant instruct me to place the oxygen mask on myself first, before assisting others with their masks, it reminds me that I need to carry that advice into all areas of my life, especially my role as caregiver. When I take care of myself and find ways to renew my energy and unwind, I can return to my caretaking roles with less fatigue and maintain my inner calling to the profession and the way I treat others. It starts with taking care of myself. We need to understand the importance of taking care of ourselves and that looks different for each of us, but using the acronym BREATHE, I’ve come up with some thoughts about getting away and renewing your own air supply:
Be proactive. Plan ahead. If you see that you have a demanding week, plan to take rejuvenation breaks. You know the things that do it for you. For me, some of those things are a running, hiking, a shopping trip, a nice meal, a pedicure, a hot bath by candle light, a romantic evening with my husband, a drive in the country, a massage, a movie at the theater, blasting music on my drive home and singing along. Create a list of your things that bring you pleasure and before you get tired or overwhelmed, look at your list and your calendar and schedule a break to catch your breath.
Recognize your own limits. A co-worker may be able to run before work, work a 10-hour shift and stop for drinks on the way home, but I know that will send me over the edge. I like being home before and after a long work day. Being away from the comfort of my home and the refuge that my own space provides is a sure way to send me looking for my broom - and no one will want to work with me the next day! Know yourself and your limits and don’t compare yourself with others.
Examples. Find examples of other caregivers who know how to care for themselves. More experienced nurses, social workers, doctors, or therapists who seem to maintain balance between work and personal care are great resources for developing your own breathing techniques.
Ask! When you find a good example ask him or her how they care for themselves and what activities seem to replenish them. What do they do at home, outside of work, or even during a brief break during a work day that allows them to catch their breath and recharge? I once asked our social worker at the cancer center what she does to care for herself. She told me she gets up early each morning and with her cup of coffee sits in a big comfy chair with a large picture book of amazing photography and works of art. She explained that the beauty in the book sets her mind in the right place so she can address the pain she sees the rest of the day.
Treat yourself. Find a handful of things that help you feel cared for and then do them, buy them, experience them. A romance novel, a decadent dessert, a stroll by the river, a foot massage, a kite, something that reminds you of childhood or being taken care of and go for it without guilt. Too often we put our own needs on hold because we think we are too busy to take a moment to treat ourselves. Treating ourselves has become a focus of great guilt. Treating ourselves, if done in moderation with the intention of returning us to responsible adulthood, should be absolutely guilt free! Get a second scoop of your favorite ice cream then cherish every bite.
Help! Don’t be afraid to ask for help. I have met nurses who never ask for help and view it as being fragile or inadequate for the role of caregiver. Perhaps we don’t feel we deserve help. We may feel it is unfair to ask for help because our own needs don’t compare to the needs of our dying patients or the suffering we witness every day. We may feel weak asking fellow caregivers to switch hours with us or our parents to watch our kids while we get a night out.  Again, I draw on the analogy of the oxygen mask and the idea that self-care is the only way we have the reserves to meet the endless needs around us. If we all ask for help appropriately and show compassion to each other, there will be no guilt, only healthy team members and teamwork.
Envision the nurse you want to be. Remember why you became a nurse. I chose nursing because I love being allowed into someone’s life at a vulnerable time and having the skills and knowledge to take care of them. After more than 24 years as a nurse and 19 as a mother, I have to remember my calling and continue to envision myself acting in ways that allow me to carry out my mission. I do love taking care of people and it is a privilege I don’t take lightly, but I have found that if I am not taking care of myself, I am not ‘breathing’, and I need to remind myself to ‘breathe’ and remind those around me to find those things that re-energize them and give them the life they need to sustain a life of care-giving.

About the Author: Katherine is an oncology nurse and writer. She has been a nurse since 1987, married the love of her life in 1989 and became a mother in 1992. She writes about balancing life with career, family and adventure and finding joy in the journey. She recently moved from New Mexico to Florida and works for the University of Florida.....Click Title for the Source Link