I Propose a Challenge!

Yesterday at work, I had a confrontation with a coworker.  He gets stressed easily and I get stressed easily.  In this part of my journey, I am trying to focus the next 6 weeks on my reactions.  I am working on being calm for those who are around me that seemingly "spaz-out".  I hope that I can learn to diffuse some of the stress through not making situations any bigger than they are.

http://www.recruiter.com/i/bring-it-on-class-of-2013/79be0d1e-6c55-4558-b94d-e5a426b4ddf2/

So in this confrontation, I realized several inconsiderate notions that I was allowing to occur.  I was selfishly seeing that the tasks on hand should revolve around me where as I should have been considerate an asked when it could be fit into his heap of work.  I was too busy in my own little world to see that.  I also didn't realize that my coworker had not eaten anything.  He was what I call hangry (anger caused by hunger) and being that he too is a diabetic he definitely needed to eat something and make it a priority.

I am sure that you all have seen this article gliding around cyber space about how this husband is going to get a divorce.  Immediately you think--what??  Not the d-word!  But this divorce is a positive one!  huh?  Just read:  http://www.oddcrunch.com/why-you-should-get-a-divorce/0.

Texting and email can be used for good, yet it has it's drawbacks too.  How many of you are chained to your email?  Or your phone in general?  How many times do you feel the need to check the weather, check your Facebook, tweets...etc?  How many of you feel that you can text better than you can talk? Sometimes texting might be easier, but nothing is a replacement for a face to face conversation.  We all do it.  Technology can trick us into believing we need it for survival and that we need everything done right now...Good Knight!  How did we ever do it before smart phones!  No wonder no one has patience...

Texting has killed the art of conversation making.  It's awkward to pick up the phone and tell someone they are on the way...why not text, you say?  I will tell you why!  I want to tell that person and put some excitement into it, or not!  I want them to feel that they are important--too important for just a simple text.  Texting and email has eliminated the emotion and left interpretation wide open.  So you know if you weren't insecure enough or you already didn't like face to face interaction...whew! (wipe the sweat off of your forehead) Your covered!

Eliminating emotion from the deal doesn't really help anything, it just makes it a little easier for someone to be a coward.  Break-ups via text?  Yes. That happens more times than you think!  Individuals getting fired via email?  You better believe it!  Whatever happened to just doing it face to face?

Today, I will not be chained to texts....will I survive?? (GASP!)

Technology in general has made our lives easier and efficient in a lot of ways.  It has also made it easier to make excuses.  It IS easier to accommodate a short text rather than engaging in a long conversion.  But that is because our lives are so busy that we almost skim over the fact we thrive and need the human touch!  It also makes us more selfish.  Our time is our time and yet everyone expects everything to be done right now.  If we want to ignore someone's text or email, we can.

Can you ever imagine a doctor texting you the news, "You have cancer.  Here is opt a and b..."?  Or a nurse texting you the oh so comforting words, "it's gunna b OK" ?  No!  Because they know interaction with the patient are necessary no matter how hard it is.  There is a level of compassion there when they speak to a family about real life situations and scenarios.  They know it is a tough position, but I am pretty sure that they know that is apart of their job.  They have to confront situations head on and speak to the individuals involved no matter how ugly it can be.  That is hard business, but they do it!

Even though my confrontation yesterday was hardly enjoyable and it made me a slight afternoon grump, it was needed.  I needed to literally see my coworker's stress (and feel it too!) to know that his stress is real.  He is a little rough around the edges and we can joke about it now.  This morning we even hugged it out!  But he needed that interaction as much as I did.  We made light of the words spoken and left it in the past.  We just simply bonded.

Today I want to propose a challenge to you.  One day this next week, divorce your technology (which ever it may be) and go out in your community and bond with your fellow humans!  Leave your phone and iPad in the car and just go get a coffee with friends.  Discover one place new to eat just by driving around--not looking it up on your phone.  Go on one technology free date.  Just one.  Who knows!  You might actually enjoy a text free dinner!

I challenge you to look at the way technology has masked the very need of face to face interaction.  You might find, like I did,  it's nice to just hang out care free and not being chained to a piece of metal.  It was nice simply talking to friends without considering what fire I was going to have to put out next.  It was liberating actually....almost a little piece of paradise!

Now entering the text free zone...
Catie Manning

A Note for New Grad Nurses

I recently ran into a girl who I cheered with in high school.  There is a bond between athletes from any sport that never seems to fade.  It is a pretty incredible thing of what working together as a team can do to bond people together.  As we were catching up, there was another bond that was found. She is a brand new nurse.  She is exactly where I was 2 years ago. No matter what area of nursing or what path you have taken, the letters RN will bring you into an incredible community of people who you will forever have a bond with.

Since 2 years ago I've come a long way.  Recently there was a blog that went viral Not Just a Nurse. I encouraged this new grad RN to read this. I can't tell you how many times "I'm just a nurse" has come out of my mouth. There is such a vulnerable truth that is spoken in this nurse's blog. A truth that needs to be heard.  But it also brings up another truth about being a nurse, it is incredibly hard to be healthy in most nursing jobs.

I started my career 2 years ago as a nurse at the bedside.  I had spent the last 7 years in school. And the summer before working at a teen weight loss camp.  Here I was in my first full time big girl job. Little studying to do, but a ton to learn on the job. I had a brand new schedule that for the first time in my life had no sort of consistency. And I came home from work at least 13 hours after I had left for it. While at work I was constantly stressed and terrified of making a mistake.

Being a new grad nurse was probably one of the absolute HARDEST things I have ever done in my life. All day long my brain was going and my body was moving. You are constantly worried about what you could do to lose your license or worse, lose a life. You have to learn how to best communicate with different types of MDs, PAs, and NPs. You have to learn how to delegate to the nursing assistants and how to keep track of their work along with yours. Your brain doesn't stop going.

On the outside of work it is hard to get patients off your mind. You wonder if you wasted all the medications you needed to. You wonder how you can manage time better. How are you ever going to be fast enough to get all your things done AND all your charting done?

Nursing takes a HUGE emotional  and physical toll on your body. You're going to struggle to figure out how to stay healthy during your shifts and days off. Here are a few tips.

1. Remember to stay hydrated. You have a very physically active job. Your body needs water not just caffeinated beverages.
2. If writing helps, journal. You have a lot going on in your heart and head after each shift.
3. Make your meals ahead of time. Before a long stretch of shifts make your food so you aren't tempted to eat just fried food.
4. Keep a healthy snack in your pocket.
5. Remember you CAN'T do it all.
6. Listen to your body and how much sleep it needs.
7. Find ways for you to unwind when you get home
8. Don't forget to be social
9. Exercise on your days off
10. Develop a support system both inside and outside of work. Do not be afraid after a long shift to call that nursing friend and vent for as long as you need.
11. Don't bee too hard on yourself

You are entering into one of the most amazing careers. You will struggle. You will doubt. You will look at your fellow nurses and ask "why did we choose this?" My dear friend, you are going to see things you never thought possible. You are going to do things that most people would never be able to handle. You were created to do a very unique and incredible job. It is perfectly ok to feel overwhelmed.

But there will be moments when the patient breaks down in tears and you are there holding their hand. When the family member hugs you after their loved one has passed and says "I'm so glad you were their nurse". When the new baby is born and you get to help see that beautiful life come into the world. When the patient goes into remission and you are the one rejoicing with that patient as if you were in remission. When the patient hears they are getting the organ they've been waiting for.  You are there to walk through the valleys and mountains with these patients and their families. When it gets tough, remember the reasons why you chose nursing.

That RN is an incredible gift that means more than you could ever imagine. My dear new grad nurse, its your time to shine! Take it one step at a time. You. can. do. this!

Self-Appreciation: Best Gift ANYONE Can Give

Today, as I was going through my daily ritual of reading the news as it comes through my news feed, I came across an article to which the subject matter really made me disturbed. This is a positive response of removal of a "new image" of Princess Merida, the beautiful red-headed young woman from Disney's movie Brave. Disney created a "Sexy Merida" for a coronation ceremony late last week to which caused some major grief, rightfully so.

'Brave' (Photo: Walt Disney Pictures)

"This one character may not do any damage to a girl's psychological development, per se," said Dr. Robyn Silverman. "But Merida joins a barrage of thin, sultry characters for girls, making her yet another facet of our sexed-up, thinned down messaging." 

As a human (I cannot just say one gender faces this more so than the other), as men and women alike, we are faced with so many body image perfectionist ideas to which we can majorly lose sight of what makes us unique. Everyone is shaped differently. Everyone is colored differently and not one person is like another. Comparison is unfair and how boring of a world this would be if you looked like every other person! BOOOOORRRINNGG!

Take a look at this campaign that Dove created a while back. It illustrates a good point: how we perceive ourselves is not always how others perceive us.

One step in health and wellness is shaping, molding, and being honest with our skewed perception of ourselves. It is embracing our flaws and imperfections as much as it is realizing what our needs are to feel good about ourselves inside and out. Health and wellness is full body endeavor to which takes an extreme amount of honesty, heart, perseverance, and dedication to embrace everything God made us to be. So what if we have large thighs, bags under our eyes or our rear end is "too big". This is what makes YOU uniquely you. Instead of looking negatively on what you don't like about yourself, why not say one thing positive about yourself?

Next time you are brushing your teeth and look up into the mirror to clean the excess toothpaste off your lips, try saying something you love about yourself in a positive fashion. This is not to be a vain attempt as much as it is to recognize qualities you possess that have a positive impact. If there is something you do not like about yourself, it is up to you on whether you want to change it. There are means to do so if that is your choice, but before you go changing yourself, appreciate who and what you are first.

I want to challenge each and everyone today to really find self-appreciation. To me, that is more important than trying to look and act like someone you are not. Appreciate who and what you are. There is only one you in this world. Be yourself. Allow it to be so! That is simply the best gift that anyone can give to themselves!

Catie Manning, Hair Stylist