Self-Care is Important for Nurses
“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 to others.” -Parker Palmer
The glass orb on the pedestal in this picture is one of my favorite features at Miraval. Everywhere you turn at Miraval is another inspirational view. This large glass orb looks completely different during different times of the day and during different seasons of the year. I don’t know the exact reason I am so drawn to this orb but each time I look at it, I have a different thought that settles on my mind. For example, this orb is made of small rectangles of glass; a lot of them! It makes me think about our world and how wonderful that so many different people make up the world we live in and how if we are placed together, supporting each other as these small rectangles are; how very beautiful the entire world would be.
My normal days are consumed with activities. I am quite busy running a couple different businesses and being a wife and mother. I feel very strongly about providing as much value as I am able to so my days are long and I am not a stranger to hard work. Many of you nurses are in this same situation, albeit husbands and fathers. Those of you that are clinical nurses especially need to be resilient due to the continual bombardment and checking of emotions. It is your stamina and resolve that keeps you showing up for work the next day. So much of a nurse’s life is taken up by promoting the well-being of others, both at work and at home. This is why self-care is so important. We need to make ourselves a priority realizing that what is within will be reflected out. Even taking 5 minutes a day to recognize, appreciate and thank your self can go a long ways in nourishing yourself.
You may think that going on Donna Cardillo’s Empowered Nurse Enlightened Practice retreat or any retreat is too expensive but it may cost you so much more if you don’t invest in this type of self-care activity. I don’t think it is coincidence that my first day back to work is the first day of Spring. I know many of the ideas, discussions and exercises I experienced will result in future blooms in my career and in my life.
