Since I was 10 years old, I have wanted to be a nurse. Back in that day, I had to wait over a decade to get through high school and then nursing school before my dream came true when I finally got my nursing school pin and my white cap. Becoming a registered nurse excited me and I couldn’t wait to help people get better by taking care of them.
However, before long, I realized that nursing wasn’t the profession that I thought it could and should be. I felt constantly stressed with not having enough time and resources to finish everything that I needed to get done. That stress greatly affected my day-to-day mood which only stressed me more.
There came a point where I had to ask myself: how can I bring the joy back in nursing?
At this time of year, the holidays go by in a flash and we realize that all the excitement of those special days has left. We then seem to return to our world of rushing through our daily jobs and lives. So, just how do we rediscover that joy, passion, and freedom and put it back into our nursing practice?
Here are some things I do in my life every day that I share in hopes that they may help you:
- BIG – Begin in gratitude.
When I wake up, I think of all the things that I am thankful for. This makes me smile and feel good. Some days, I’m thankful for just waking up. Other days I have a long list of things to appreciate. It doesn’t matter if your list is long or just a single something for which to be thankful. Just begin in gratitude. - Move your body!
Although in nursing, we are constantly moving, but it’s more from task-to-task rather than being in our body and actually moving. Spend time just to move and feel your body. Whether it’s a long walk, bicycling, yoga or whatever; anything that allows you to get back in your body and feel your body moving is good. And we should be grateful that we can move. - Take 5 minutes of joy.
When I was given the suggestion to spend 5 minutes of joy each day, I thought, “Oh, that will be easy” because generally, I am a happy person. However, I found that having to intentionally look for that joy is a little harder than I thought. I thought of all the things that bring me joy and, from my short list, I counted my children, animals, smelling flowers, the Beatles… Each day I am determined to do something for 5 minutes that will make me smile and bring me joy. It could be something as simple as a stroll, getting a massage or even feeding ducks in a pond. - Read or listen to things that bring joy.
There are so many great books that bring joy. Shawn Achor is a happiness expert and states that “Happiness is a choice.” His book titled “The Happiness Advantage: The Severn Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success And Performance At Work” is excellent. That’s just one and you know there are tons of others. If you don’t want to read, then you can listen to a book on audible.com or a podcast or something else that brings you joy. Putting good things in your mind helps shift your mood from stress to joy.