Mindfulness in Nursing
Nursing requires a constant filling of others’ cups – literally and metaphorically. But we can’t effectively do that for others without doing it for ourselves first.
Nurses are organically selfless, and it can feel foreign to put ourselves and our needs first, so we often don’t. But when we lack self-love and self-care, we burn out and are unhappy.
Modern Nurses want well-balanced lifestyles and to be the best in every role they own beyond ‘"nurse."
For Nurses, Mindfulness Really Matters
But what is "mindfulness," and how is it relevant to me?
Mindfulness is about intentionally living your life moment to moment. It goes beyond simply living; it's about paying attention and fully experiencing.
We are so mindful in everything that we do for our patients. We have to be! We are so careful, thoughtful, meticulous, aware, alert, and responsive. But what about in our own lives? What about what’s going on in our own thoughts and emotions, on the job and off?
Being mindful for our own selves is just as important.
Nursing is demanding, mental, unpredictable, physical, stressful, strenuous, emotional, and can be downright exhausting. We often have to multi-task, recall, remember, and shift focus frequently, on and off the job. Think of mindfulness practice as training to be prepared for any and all of these situations. Mindfulness trains us to be aware and in control of our thoughts and emotions so that we can better control our attention, reactions, focus, and whatever else is thrown at us on any given shift.
As nurses, our focus and attention so often veer from the matter at hand. I can’t tell you how many times I’ll walk into the med room, supply room, or halfway down the hall and need to recall what the heck I was doing or going there for.
Beyond the bedside, this applies to our personal lives and how our work can infiltrate them. Our minds take flight, our emotions and thoughts control us, our anxiety and worry turn into obsessive thoughts about something that happened, didn’t happen, or might happen.
Whether you to have a clear idea of what this means for you or not, a new year is the perfect time to better understand your biggest challenges and make decisions about your goals. Mindfulness enables you to better understand your stressors, improve your diet, enhance your exercise regime, strengthen or create important relationships, change your career or relationship, or deepen your spiritual practice.
Whatever is it is that you want to achieve, there are mindfulness techniques out there for you. For those new to mindfulness, our gal, Samara, has got you covered.
Putting Mindfulness Into Action
Introducing the “Oprah Winfrey of the nutrition and mindfulness industry...”
Samara Zelniker is dedicated to creating a platform for leaders to reach their infinite potential. With over a decade of experience in yoga, meditation, and mindfulness, her focus lies in applying these age-old concepts to modern day life. At Trusted, we’re throwing out antiquated concepts to create new paths and opportunities for the Modern Nurse.
Samara understands that nursing is changing & the future of nursing isn’t what it used to be.
She works with individuals to highlight their innate talents, guiding them with ease to the practical application of their strengths through a curated and personalized program. Her approach targets the source of each matter, and works with people to strip away non-essential behaviors that get in the way of their greatness.
Samara is a native of Montreal, Canada and has an infectious curiosity about life. She can never be found too far from a beach, an inspiring conversation or her next adventure. She teaches forms of meditation, meditation techniques, the benefits of mindfulness in everyday life (such as reducing stress and anxiety), and ultimately, how to live in the present moment.
Samara is also an ambassador for Athleta and Sweetgreen and has been featured as a leadership expert in Forbes and Business Insider.
She loves and appreciates nurses and has an understanding of the lifestyle that comes along with it, so she’s hooking up the winner of our Modern Nurse Giveaway with a 1:1.
Ready to have your best year yet? This is how Samara has helped some others do just that!
“Working with Samara has made me realized that I have the power to not only set but reach goals that are right for me. She’s held me accountable while I unpacked parts of my life that were intimidating or scary and helped me work towards understanding myself and my habits more, which led to control of my behavior.”
“I now approach the world with intention! It has made all of my relationships – with food, exercise, work, people, but most importantly myself – healthier! I now have the ability to manage stressful situations and conversations in a healthy and productive way.”
“Samara helped me set foundational goals that were realistic and attainable. Samara guided me to make incremental improvements towards my goals while also shifting my mindset towards goal setting. Through this method, I was changing my behavior and establishing a mindfulness practice in parallel!"
For more on mindfulness, check out Samara's site! An easy way to begin is to automate as much as possible in order to allow more time for mindfulness.
