Burnout. Compassion fatigue. Stress and anxiety. Feeling overwhelmed. Regardless of words used to describe the feeling, the expression holds similar meaning: the light once held for the excitement and passion of the work is being snuffed out. Whether short-term or lasting in duration, it can be a dark and lonely place to exist. If you’ve ever been in total darkness, you know how amazing the light of one candle can be. I’d like to suggest that when you feel as though you’re facing dark ...

It is said that water is the source of all life, and without water all life would cease to exist. That is an accepted fact, right? Water does sustain all living things. What we often forget is that we can go without any water for approximately three days. We cannot go without oxygen for more than 4 to 6 minutes before permanent damage starts to happen to our brain. Take a moment to just breathe, notice it, be grateful for it, be present with it, receive clarity through it, be refueled by it.

As adults, we often find ourselves running on the adult..itis gerbil wheel, with so many responsibilities that there is no time for play or fun in our lives. Let’s step back in time for a moment to remember the pure joy of playing as a kid. Being free to run, jump, play games, be spontaneous and laughing until our stomachs hurt. As adults, it is easy to forget the importance of play and how essential it is in refueling our hearts and for our overall well-being. This month I challenge this gr...

What a powerful question. One that each of us need to ask ourselves at least daily, if not several times a day. In healthcare, we are givers at heart. We give and give and give to others. Sometimes to the point of exhaustion. At what expense? Truth is, at the expense of ourselves. As healthcare workers, we are at very high risk for emotional exhaustion, burnout and compassion fatigue. Really, this comes at no surprise if we are not taking time out for ourselves. Time to refuel, to resto...

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, LOVE is in the air whether it is LOVE for self, LOVE for your family, LOVE for your relationships including significant others and friends. LOVE makes the “world-go-round”.

Being an adult is challenging somedays, if not most days. There are so many things to do, between work, home and all the extracurricular activities you have said yes to with your family, friends and community. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel like I am running in the gerbil wheel of responsibilities, get off exhausted, fall into bed, sleep for a few hours if I am blessed, and then get up to do it all over again. Can you identify? It is time to get off the gerbil wheel more often...

I recently bought a Christmas puzzle as I anticipated needing something to keep my brain busy as I was recovering from hip replacement surgery during the month of December. Well, let me tell you that puzzle has caused me deeply rooted frustration on so many levels. I spent hours just trying to build the outside edges. (Apparently, I am not very skilled at building puzzles. Who knew?) I want to use the puzzle pieces as a metaphor when thinking about self-care and refueling this month.

The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miquel Ruiz is a must read. As humans we create so much of our “own suffering.” The agreements set forth in this book outline a code of conduct that can transform our lives leading to more freedom, joy and happiness. Based on what I am hearing lately from nurses I am confident that we could all use more of that in our lives right now.

Nurses are typically known for being givers. We give, give and give to others at the expense of ourselves often. As humans, most of us are incredibly hard on ourselves, becoming our own worst self-critic. This brings us up short, believing that we are not good enough, smart enough, pretty or handsome enough… the list could go on and on. Our brains and the circumstances of our lives often cause us extremes in suffering, so much so that we lose faith in ourselves and our abilities. Another truth...

Spring is here at least according to the birds. Listen to the birds, singing their song in the early morning hours. They are often singing long before we wake up to face the day ahead of us. Collectively, they make beautiful music together, as they each do their own thing, sing their own tune. We can take lessons from the birds.