Love Letters to A Nurses Soul: Daily Diet

Hello Everyone Kimberly here. I have missed you all but I have been working behind the scenes on some things I hope you enjoy. One of them is my "Love Letters to a Nurses Soul" Project. I hope these love letters inspire, encourage, and give you hope.

Dear Nurse,

Today is the day you change your diet! No I"m not talking about from donuts to egg whites and spinach or from pizza to salmon and brown rice, although those may be good choices depending on your health. No, I'm suggesting you change your steady diet of negativity regarding yourself, your professional and personal realm to one of positivity.

No more facebook for hours on end or nurse forums that bash our profession rather than uplift it. No more self- discussion boards that have more negative than good. because really the mind is powerful and I for one need to set some boundaries. What we constantly consume we become. No matter how hard we try to scroll to the positive post or ignore that someone else seems to be living a bigger, better, more fulfilled life we must stop. You are worthy to be happy. Everyone is.The minute you recognize this is  the minute you will  begin to live.

I've seen you struggling trying to live up to expectations that were not meant for you. You are "fearfully and wonderfully made "-Psalm 139:14 and don't need to play second fiddle to anybody. So we need to detox. It will not be easy but in the end the results of you feeling happy, fulfilled and walking in your propose will be worth it.

Daily Diet Revamp:

1. I will pray instead of worry. Each time I get the inkling to worry I will instead pray over my situation. I realize praying and worrying are counterproductive.
2.  I pledge to Love myself fully and wonderfully just as God created me.
3. I speak life  into my situations. When negative thoughts arise I confront them with truth and past successful experiences and outcomes.
4.  I will limit my time and energy on trigger areas of my life rather that  mean spending only 1 hr on social media daily or not watching TV before I go to sleep.
5. Each day take out some time to be still and Know He is God. The God of the Heaven and Earth..there is nothing to hard for Him.

Love,

Kimberly

P.S. If you would like to read more about walking in your purpose, finding and achieving success, all through a spiritual and comedic lens check out my book "What They Didn't Teach You Or I In Nursing School: lessons Learned Outside The Classroom."  Thank you.

2013 The Year of Raqui

Every year before the new year starts I write down how I want the year to be. I firmly believe in the power of words. You can either speak life into or bring death over your situations. Anyways, this year I labeled as a rebirth as myself personally and professionally.

The year started off with a bang with guest post,connecting, and writing. Then tragedy struck me and my family and things seemed to be going good for awhile and then joy came in the form of a little baby but a few short weeks later death struck at our door again. And it was hard.. hard to pick up the pieces and not completely fall apart in the mist of our circumstances. But we held on to our faith and the promises of Jesus.  It was not easy.. losing a child but without my relationship with the Lord  I would not be writing you today. And then a crazy thing happened I published my first book and attended the NNBA conference. I connected with so many wonderful people and I actually was smiling and feeling like Kimberly again..Then I  was blessed with interviews in print and radio and now with hope/plans for much more in 2014. Reflecting on this past year has brought me peace as I have truly grown and  truly embraced myself This has caused me to loose some people along the way but that's ok because its part of growing and evolving into the person I want to be. Writing this has me a little teary eyed because of all that we've been through this year. I am truly grateful to you all my audience from Florida to Saudi Arabia. Around the world and back again. I could never nor did I ever imagine the words God gave me touching so many people. Thank you. Thank you for visiting, commenting, sharing, and purchasing. Without your support writing here would not be successful. Writing  has been therapeutic for me and I hope a blessing to you. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity and I can't wait to see what 2014 brings.

To a Blessed, Prosperous, and Happy New Year for you and your family!

~Kimberly

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.

Take Care : Boundaries

Happy Monday,
Let's start our week off right shall we?

OK- so as  promised how is the whole sleep thing going? Well, while I did manage to do all three tips I talked about at least once last week. my sleep has still been all over the place. On the days I worked out for the most part I slept well. One day this week I went to a  late movie and didn't get to bed until two hours past my usual bed time but amazingly I woke up "right as rain" the next morning...go figure. . The electronic free bedroom nights were awesome so that will continue. This week I will continue consistently making my sleep a priority and let you know how it's going. What's new with your self-care needs? How are your goals going? I would love to hear from you.  We are in this together and if there's anyway I can help I would be more than happy too.

Now that we have the formalities out the way, I really wanted to talk to you about boundaries. These are very important and very specific to your individual needs. You see in order to truly take care, you must know your limits. For some this may be easy for others not so much. Yesterday, at church taught me so much about my blurred boundaries...for instance you find  out who truly cares for you when times are rough. I'm sure you already knew this but work with me.  Also you can only truly help someone willing and able to help themselves. Doing the work for the person does not help; it only hinders them..sometimes I get myself into trouble with this because I want to help..again sure you already knew this. Lastly..no one and I mean no one can fault you for taking care of yourself. Some will try  but you should not feel guilty for protecting yourself. We cannot be all things to all people that's whats God is for, something I learned at church previously and  yesterday.

The point is boundaries re: your time, energy, effort, money, and love/devotion will determine if you end up feeling drained at the end of the day or refreshed and ready for more. I give you permission in case you needed it to take care of yourself. We must care for self before others. It is not wrong! In fact it is selfish not too because when people are truly depending on you for your help you will not have anything left to give from your depleted reserves.  Along the way I have learned a thing or two about boundaries that help me make my health spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and financially a priority . And while this is easier said than done  I strive to do it everyday. I hope this information helps you in some way.

Self-care boundaries:

1. Say no and mean it. A concept I learned from this book. There's nothing worst then saying no and then going back on your word. You loose because not only did you not want to participate in the activity in the first place it's more than likely taking time away from some enjoyable self-care activity.

2. "Automate the important" Our Pastor Bruce Moore introduced this concept one Sunday in-relation to tithes and offerings and I didn't get it until I had a a million and one "deadlines" real and imagined and the concept popped back into my head. If there is a way that your bills or tithing in our churches case can be automated, Do it! It will take the stress and the guess work out of something important to you. How many times have you woken up in the middle of the night thinking did I pay that bill or in my case did I move the tithe money into the account?

3. Plan and keep time to reflect/ rest. Sometimes you just need to unplug..its hard but Facebook is really a time suck and your health is more important then the latest tweet that you can easily look up. You owe it to yourself to keep the appointments/ dates you make with you. If  you're not keeping your appointments with you ...how will you keep appointments with others? Another concept learned from Pastor Moore.

4. Make sure those in your inner circle are on board. When I have spa day the whole house is put on notice what , when, how,and the duration of my self- care activities. This avoids my husband for instance saying "What's for dinner" in the middle of my pedicure.

5. Do not always be readily accessible/available. I'm not saying live on  a remote island where you never talk to family or friends but I am saying listen to your body and yourself and don't feel obligated to respond to every facebook message, text, call, or email until you're ready. This is a hard one for me to learn ...until I realized that those I connect with are doing it too.. In fact it allows you time to think and be genuine in what you say when you do respond.  And if someone has a problem with it..tough, you might want to reevaluate the relationship because anyone who cares for you will understand that sometimes you need your space. Confusion does not equal clarity. Be still and listen- Psalm 46:10.

How do you set boundaries that make your self-care needs a priority? I invite you to email me or leave  a message in the comments.

Take Care,

~ Raqui

Take Care:Take Stock Results: Sleep, Posture, Hydration

And above these three is sleep. God is so funny. While working on the Take Care series this summer, I got to thinking/writing and well the three things I need / want to focus on this summer as the title entails are sleep, posture, and hydration.  Last week, we talked about taking stock and I must let you in on a little secret: I already knew what I needed to work on which sometimes happens but it was defiantly confirmed this week in ways I couldn’t imagine. How did taking a fresh look at your self –care needs go this week?

Sleep:
 
Sleep has eluded me at times and has been good at times. In fact last night it rained and I slept well besides some weird dreams. But dreaming is good.  I defiantly see a difference when I don’t go to bed at my normal time even for one night. It’s like it throws my whole week off!!! Yikes! So, it’s fitting a few weeks ago the Today Show did a segment on sleep. OK God I’m listening :)
 First order of business is to really look at my sleeping patterns and implement new ways to get a better night’s sleep. I already do the usual we have all heard before of going to bed and waking up the same time each day… even on weekends…Ugh!,  making sure my bedroom is just that a place to sleep not plan, write, read, or watch TV…this does not always work and  lastly,  try not to drink anything about 1-2 hours before bed so I get continuous sleep.
This week I will be doing three things to improve my sleep. How about you? Is sleep something you struggle with? Or is there another self-care issue you’re going to tackle first? What do you do to get a good night’s rest?

Sleep Tips This Week:

1. Exercise
2.  Note when I go to bed, how long it takes me to fall asleep, what time I wake up, and how I feel in the morning
3. Phone Free bedroom

Okay, that’s it for now. I’ll be back next week to let you know how it goes.

Take Care,

~Raqui

Taking Care: Taking Stock

Awe summer: fresh air, showers, cookouts, beaches…let’s just drink it all in shall we? OK back to business!

By far, one of my most popular post to date has been Taking Care. Personally I believe this is because often times we get in the routine of taking care of ourselves last.

As you know I truly believe in order to be an effective and functioning person in this life you must care for self-first. I have seen and personally experienced what not taking care of yourself can do and I’m sure you have too. So, I propose over the next six weeks we take a long hard look into our self-care techniques, strengths, areas for improvement, and do some experimenting…who ‘s with me??!!!!

Here’s how it will work: each week I will post an aspect of self-care we can explore together; sharing our triumphs and supporting each other's bloopers along the way .Trust me I’m the queen of them. So thankful for God’s Grace.

  

This first week we will take stock. Write down what you do this week, such as when you wake up, go to bed, eat, sleep, exercise, read, anything that is a part of your routine, a good rule of thumb I have learned from various sources is to at least record  three consecutive days of activities to see established patterns. If you can’t? Just write what you can. The point of the exercise is to see where you are currently at in your self-care journey. Once that’s done take some time not to even look at your routine and then come back to it. What one or two areas stand out that you would like to reboot this summer?  Next week we share our insights.

I would love to hear from you so leave a comment below about your self -care journey  and/or topics you would like covered during this series . To connect on a more intimate level feel free to email me at raquiwardrn@gmail.com

Take Care, you deserve it!

~ Raqui 

P.S.  If your wonder where I came up with Taking Care look no further than Drake's song "Take Care" ft. Rihanna. There's a line in the song when she says "I'll take care of you" which inspired me/ got me thinking. And while I don't agree with most of the music these artists produce, this one in particular made me think of my own self -care needs. What music inspires you? 

A Good Nights Sleep

There is nothing like a good nights sleep to renew your mind, body,telomeres,and change your perspective.This week really underscores that fact. I was running on empty..no gas in the sleep tank and now I feel like a million bucks. It is awesome! Try it this weekend.Listen to your body and sleep.For me, it was eight hours I'll never regret.

Take Care
~ Raqui

Taking Care

Hello,

I have been meaning to write this post for awhile.. Taking care of yourself so that others can be taken care of. Throughout my career.. all 34 months of it. No one lesson has been more prevalent then taking care of yourself. We all know what we do is stressful and chaotic at times but even in the chaos we must preserve or we will go down with the ship. It is not helpful or even noble to sacrifice yourself for the good of the cause. I have seen and experienced too many tragedies, senseless mistakes, and overall mayhem ensue when caregivers overlook themselves. To be affective we must take care of ourselves; our loved ones, families, friends, and clients are depending on it. Even God  rested on the seventh day.

Tips I have learned:

• Arrive early so you do not leave late
• Always double the amount of time you think it is going to take to complete a task so then if you finish early you can tackle one of those 5 to 10 minute tasks.
• Under promise and over deliver
• Drink lots of fluids...Carry water at all times, once dehydrated your brain is not fully functioning. If you're thirsty it's already too late.
•  Rest and sleep.. go to bed early so you are well rested. When your brain is tired you make silly mistakes.
•  Eat! Do not skip lunch to catch up on work.. When you are hungry your brain is not getting the glucose you need to function optimally; so the work you are catching up on is going to take longer anyways. I know this one is hard, especially in the acute care setting, but trust me you will wish you had taken a few minutes to recharge instead of making that medication error.
• At lunch shut your mind off from work, tasks, and try not to talk about work at lunch. This is  your time to recuperate.
• Move.. walk..run.. jump. Move a little each day it is a  great way to stay healthy and relieve stress. Also gives you endorphins.
• Prep beforehand ; as much prep work as you can get done is helpful.
•  Be honest with your coworkers and yourself about what you need. Speak up! People treat you how you teach them to.
• The most important thing is to be proactive. No one cares about your well being as much as you do.