NNBA Nurse Entrepreneur News – 12/15/2021
There is an emphasis on gift-giving during the holiday season. For some, the best part is finding just the right gift that will place a sparkle in someone’s eyes and happiness in their hearts. You may occasionally see advertisements saying, “Best gift for nurses”, these range from ornaments, mugs, and t-shirts, and as much as others would like to recognize us, the best gift is one we must give to ourselves. Nurses have a hard time with this, and yes, I am talking about self-care. So, I want you to think about this quote by Parker Palmer, “Self-care is never a selfish act; it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others.”
Dr. Martin Seligman, Director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania, and founder of positive psychology, concluded that there are five elements of lasting “well- being” which falls under the mnemonic PERMA.
- Positive Emotions: We need positive emotion in our lives. Positive emotions such as peace, gratitude, satisfaction, pleasure, inspiration, ecstasy, warmth, comfort, and the like. Enjoying yourself in the here and now.
- Engagement: When we’re truly engaged in a situation, task, or project, we experience a state of flow: time seems to stop, we lose our sense of self, and we are in the moment.
- Relationships: As humans, we are “social beings,” and good relationships are core to our well-being. Time and again, we see that people who have meaningful, positive relationships with others are happier than those who do not.
- Meaning: Meaning comes from serving a cause bigger than ourselves. Whether this is a specific deity or religion, or a cause that helps humanity in some way, we all need meaning in our lives to have a sense of well-being.
- Accomplishment/Achievement: Many of us strive to better ourselves in some way, whether we’re seeking to master a skill, achieve a valuable goal, or win in some competitive event. As such, accomplishment is another important thing that contributes to our ability to flourish.
My wish for you is to be good stewards of your gift, to experience total well-being, to flourish in your life, and in your work, today and always.
