This morning, I received an email from one of my readers who wrote, "One question that I have about thoughts is, if they're not real, how do you know if they're 'true' or not...The way I've always viewed my thoughts is, well if I thought of them then they MUST be true." Do you ever wonder the same thing? If so, read on...
A Worldwide Epidemic of Stress in Nursing As an RN, I've worked in many environments that I would describe as "stressful." Why were they stressful? Because there was an abundance of stressors. People often confuse the words around stress, maybe because they're so stressed out?! Before we can learn how to handle stress in our life, it might be worth knowing what we can modify (hint: that's the stress) and what is out of our control. The Definition of Stress It seems that whenever I research challenges in nursing, the main topic seems to be stress. Whether it's [...]
You're Already Empowered! When nurses talk about empowerment, the discussion often focuses on how we can find power over the circumstances in our work environment. And when we talk about feeling stressed or burned out, we’re usually talking about the circumstances at work that are causing us to experience stress (see article on stressors and stress to learn the difference between what stresses us and what we experience.) Becoming empowered and less stressed within our workplace is necessary. But…are we missing something? Is there a way to become empowered and less stressed without trying to change everything that goes on [...]
There are a number of articles published on the effects of stress and burnout in nursing. If you haven’t read any of these articles, you’ve probably had your own experience with stress, if not in your workplace, then in your life. How do we deal with stress?
Compassion Doesn't Have to Hurt, in Nursing or Otherwise Albert Einstein wrote: A human being is a part of the whole called by us “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts, his feelings, as something separate from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. The delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and [...]
How can we call remaining in the present “meditation?” Is meditation merely a state of non-distraction? When do you find yourself most present? Most distracted? Whether distracted or present, each moment is an opportunity, an invitation, to meditate. Many people assume that we mediate by finding a cushion or quiet place and then sit, motionless, in a state of calm bliss. But, every moment that we’re awake can also be a moment when we’re aware. Each Moment is an Invitation to Practice Each moment that we’re present, whether with our family, friends, or those we care for, is a moment [...]
COMPASSION ISN'T OUTSIDE OF YOU Compassion isn't something foreign to our minds and our hearts. It isn't something "out there" that we have to get or acquire. And, it isn't something that we need to learn (although we may need to remember it at times). Granted, there are times when we feel that to find even the smallest compassionate impulse for certain patients requires of us the most Herculean effort. There are also times when, either due to the amount of stress that we're experiencing, or the number of patients we're dealing with, it doesn't feel like there's "...enough to go [...]
By creating the third mind of nursing, that wonderful creatrix of possibility from which spring infinite possibilities for change, we can create an intangible force of awareness and compassion, and venture to bring the collective mind into a new era of nursing.
Minding the bedside, remaining mindful, aware, and compassionate in the presence of those we care for, comes from turning the mind, re-turning the mind inward; transforming the stormy arisings of thoughts, emotions and feelings and recognizing them to be impermanent phenomena, like passing clouds in the sky.
In the second part of this series, Why Do You Get Stressed..., we looked at why we become stressed due to our thoughts and thinking. In this final part, we’ll explore how mindfulness and meditation can help us to work differently with our mind and emotions.