Non-negotiables
At a recent hospice team meeting we celebrated an RN case manager’s 30th year anniversary as a nurse. She has spent 10 of those years in hospice. She spoke at an inservice for the nurses on our team today. She looked great and still going strong. I wondered how she managed to survive 30 years of nursing.
As I thought of her, a podcast I listened to came to mind. It was an interview between Profitable Writer podcaster Kent Sanders and Justin Schenck. They were marveling at Willie Nelson and how at 89 years old he is still playing music and touring the country. There have been other famous musicians who have not been so fortunate. So how is it that some people crash and burn or peter out sooner than others? How do you last for the long haul? Justin brought up some good points and asked the audience how they could “fill their cups” everyday. “You can’t pour from an empty cup,” Justin said. In other words, what will you do everyday to care for your body and mind so that you don’t burn out prematurely? Justin does four things consistently everyday. These are nonnegotiable items for him, things he will religiously do everyday. He takes a walk, he learns something new, he reaches out to encourage someone, and he does deep visualization of who he wants to be. .
Take care of yourself first, Justin recommends. I know, that sounds counterintuitive for nurses but it sure made my wheels start to turn. I have been so used to overworking and being exhausted that the thought of really nurturing myself appealed to me. Now, I know this is not a new concept. But when Justin said, “I will no longer deplete myself to help others”, that made me stop and think. His statement resonated something in me. I made a commitment to adopt that as my life motto. Why do I care for others and neglect myself? I don’t want to do that anymore. It’s time for a change. So here’s what I came up for nonnegotiables in my daily routine:
Start my day with some quiet, reflective time for about 20-30 minutes in the morning to read scripture from my bible and doing some journaling. Spending time with God is important to me because I believe this is where I gain the wisdom and strength I need to do my hospice work. This has also kept me grounded so that I can have a more peaceful beginning to my day.
Do some form of exercise (i.e. walk, treadmill, weights). I haven’t been consistent with this so I’m doing something for 10-15 minutes everyday.
Reach out to a friend or family member. Connecting with my family or friends some time during my day is vital for my own mental health.
Do something creative and fun. One of my favorite hobbies is nature photography. Capturing some beauty or uniqueness I see during my day is a real stress reliever for me.
How about you? What are your nonnegotiables? I challenge you to think of two or three things to start off with. Things you will commit to doing everyday to fill your cup and nurture yourself first. Go ahead, try it out. I’m rooting for you!
