Holiday Rejuvination? No way!

I  must say I have met some awesome nurses online and in person. And Elizabeth is defiantly one of them! We have been collaborating with back and forth posts, radio, and guest collaborations. Below Elizabeth shares how to revamp your holidays. I love her practical and relatable advice that we can all easily incorporate in any holiday routine this season. Have a Happy Healthy Thanksgiving. ~Raqui :)

Nurses, 3 Ways to Rejuvenate Yourself and Your Health during the Holiday Season!

By Elizabeth Scala RN

Up here in Maryland with the chillier air, hats and jackets, and shorter days one thing is evident as I observe the hustle and bustle of my coworkers. The holiday season is upon us. And what does that mean? With the holidays, what usually comes hand-in-hand? You've got it:

Stress!

In fact I actually heard a woman in my office say: “Well, I looked at my calendar and I've only got three days to get this shopping done. If they (her grandchildren) don’t get me their lists soon- I guess they just don’t get what they want!”

Are you serious? Since when did the holidays become about going out, getting things off of a list, and not enjoying an ounce of the moment-to-moment joy?

As nurses we can also feel the holiday stress in another capacity:

On the job.

From lighter staffing due to holiday schedules to irritable patients who don’t want to be in the hospital for the holidays in the first place, nursing can be a demoralizing role during this time one wants to be most with family.

So what can we do about it? Because we know that nursing doesn't stop. The 24/7 care and compassion we share must go on. So how can we do it with a sense of joy and a hint of peace of mind?

 3 simple ways to rejuvenate yourself and your work during the holidays:

•        Get Creative. I’ll admit I was one of the saddest, most miserable nurses on my unit during holiday times. Being from NY and living in MD was tough as I missed my family and friends. Yet with the advancements in technology we don’t have to feel like we’re hundreds of miles apart. You can Skype, get on a Google Hangout, or find other creative ways to connect with family around the world. On top of that, tap into your artistic and childlike self. Go to a craft store and walk the aisles. Find something that brings out your holiday joy. Head home and turn on the holiday cheer while playfully creating your masterpiece.
•        Stay Healthy. The fastest way to feeling blue during the holiday hustle is a weak and compromised body. Body, mind, spirit, and emotion are all one. If you’re tired, poorly hydrated, or undernourished from nutrient weak foods you’re going to notice it in your emotions. Poor health equates to feelings of anxiety, sadness, and loneliness. Spruce up your health and enjoy an added benefit of some pep in your step as you walk into work to enjoy your patient care. 

•      Embrace Gratitude. This is the secret weapon behind all great rejuvenation. Our minds create our realities. What you experience outside in your environment is a mirror image of what you think and feel in your internal self. If you want a holiday filled with joy, peace, and love- it’s time to get grateful. Already practicing gratitude? A great way to up-level your routine is by, not only focusing on what you’re grateful for, but adding on a feeling. Here’s an example: Instead of ‘I’m grateful for my family’ you want to say something like: ‘I’m grateful for my family which makes me feel cheerful, safe, and full of love.’ 

Enjoy these simple strategies to rejuvenation and allow yourself to embrace your holidays this year and always. After all, happier staff makes for happier patients. Happier patients make for smoother work days. And I know we all want to enjoy our nursing work. Have a healthy and happy holiday everyone!

I’d love to hear how these tools worked for you, or if you have any others you’d like to add to the list. If you’re interested in finding out more, come visit me at www.livingsublimewellness.com. Sign up for my newsletter and receive my special gift, a 3-Part Video Series, “Here’s Time for Your Health”.

About the author:

Elizabeth “Coach” Scala, MSN/MBA, RN is passionate about helping healthcare professionals, nurses in particular, to embody holistic living and embrace self-care. Through her business, Living Sublime Wellness, she writes regularly on the topic of self-care, conducts wellness workshops, and offers both in-person and online seminars for busy nurses.

Elizabeth is a Certified Health and Wellness Coach and holds Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and Master’s degrees in both Business and Nursing. Originally from Carmel, NY, she now lives in Baltimore, MD with her husband and two dogs. Visit http://www.livingsublimewellness.com for more information.

Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This month  I celebrate my birthday and in years past it has been filled with lots of drama. So this summer after a heartbreaking tragedy I reflected on why I celebrate birthdays. The short answer: they are worth celebrating, Life is worth celebrating!! Happy Birthday to you wherever you are!!!Celebrate!!!!!!!

Over the years I have been asked many times why I make such a big deal out of my birthday. While my family and close friends get it..others not so much. I have heard it is selfish or makes people uncomfortable depending on my plans..this as you can imagine has caused lots of drama around my birthday and for several years I have only spent it with those in my inner circle or my husband for fear of ruining a perfectly good day with others opinions.

 To understand my stance on birthdays you must understand how I was raised. .Growing up no matter what we had cake and ice cream on our birthdays and  my mom made it very special . My dad makes sure everyone knows and celebrates their golden birthday(the day you turn the same age as your day of birth).  So you can imagine my surprise when others made the above comments how I felt. It was shocking to me at least. But I'm done worrying about others opinions of me especially in regards to celebrating the day God blessed me. I have been through a lot and want to honor God with celebration of all He has brought me through.  Birthdays are very important: once that sperm meets that egg  its beautiful..I mean how awesome that what color hair to your personality is decided in an instant..and not to mention how many sperm never reach the egg in time..its perfect symphony. And then the baby, if we're lucky  is born alive, healthy, and thriving in this world. Lots of unforeseen circumstances such as miscarriage..stillbirths..

kidnapping... sudden infant death, and violence just to name a few can occur along they way,so why wait let's celebrate!!!! If you think about it its a miracle regardless of what you believe that despite all obstacles  we are alive and breathing.

How do you celebrate your birthday?  

This post is dedicated to all my friends who have recently had babies and those moms who will see their babies in heaven. So to answer the question: I ask one in return- who am I  not to celebrate my birthday?  Do what makes you happy.  For me that is  honoring the One who gave me life. The One who knew me before I was thought in my parents head. Not everyone gets a chance to live and I don't want to take that for granted. 

Take Care,

~ Kimberly

NNBA Review

Last month I attended the National Nurses In Business Association Conference! This was my first major conference of this type and debut for me as an entrepreneur. I met a lot of wonderful people and made hopefully life long connections. I also enjoyed some down time too! As a first timer and one of the newest  attendees environment, connecting, and confirmation stood out to me.
 

Environment
 

In my opinion where you have a conference is just as important as who you have there and the #NNBA organizers understand that. We stayed at the lovely Orlando Area Embassy Suites fitted with spacious rooms made to order omelets, water feature, business center, and spa/pool to name a few amenities. Every night I slept in a wonderful bed and was impressed with the cleanliness of the facilities.  It made for a relaxing reflective environment. 

Connecting

As I said I met a lot of intriguing, fascinating, and like minded people with a can do entrepreneurial and business spirit. It was nice to be apart of ; meeting legends of the online nursing world I would probably never meet under normal circumstance. It was even more humbling that they were real down to earth people. We  laughed,hugged, and reflected together.  I also meet everyday heroes and that was a treat in itself. If nothing else I hope these connections continue as friendships with us growing and supporting each other  in every step.

Confirmation
 

While I learned a lot about the different business opportunities I got confirmation on what I was already doing by trusting my gut. In fact at one point I started writing down  the lessons I learned before the conference with the ones repeated  at the NNBA. Now I have a blue print on what areas to focus on so that I may have a growing and thriving business. 

 

Tips for Newbies

•   Prepare before the conference with business cards, flyers, and ideas. You never know who you will meet and what opportunities will come to you. 
• Talk to someone who has attended the conference before and/or knows someone who is attending. I did both and this helped me take a lot of the guess work out on how to best prepare for whatever opportunities were awaiting me.
• Relax..be yourself!!!! The authentic you is much better than a pretender.
• Network in a way that plays to your strengths. For me this meant talking to conference attendees one on one building connections. 

All in all this was a wonderful first conference experince and I would love to attend next year as a speaker:)

Take Care,

~ Raqui