Burnout Resources
Resources for everyone experiencing burnout or close to it
Think of yourself as a cup. When you feel energetic, happy & engaged with life, your cup is full right? You are doing things that make you feel good in life, things that keep your cup full. Going through nursing school puts that cup at half full then jumping into working, drains it even further. In order to fill your cup back up to where it needs to be so you feel energized, happy, joyful even, requires you to do activities that fills your cup back up.
Most nurses work with an almost empty cup and still manage to take care of everyone around them. Here are ways to fill your own cup, prioritize yourself.
Herbal Body Oiling
It’s like giving yourself a massage. Using herbal body oils daily is a wonderful way to calm your nervous system and bring you back into your body. They can be used at night before sleep to relax your muscles, your nervous system and your mind to sleep easier at night. Using them after a shower in the morning is a perfect way to start your day so you are calm and ready for whatever the day holds for you.
I craft nourishing herbal oils & teas to calm your nervous system and bring you back into your body. Creating rituals around oiling your skin and drinking a calming herbal tea brings your shoulders down, reminds you to unclench your jaw and to feel into your body instead of living in your head. Working in chronic stressful environments, it’s important to create time and space to nourish yourself, to listen to what your body is telling you, to be present in this moment.
Box breathing
Box breathing is a powerful but simple relaxation technique that aims to return breathing to its usual rhythm after a stressful experience. It involves breathing in and out and holding the breath. It may help clear the mind, relax the body, and improve focus.
Box breathing involves four basic steps, each lasting 4 seconds:
breathing in
holding the breath
breathing out
holding the breath
Meditation
Meditation is a practice that involves training the mind to focus and achieve a state of mental clarity and calmness. It involves directing attention to a specific object, thought, or sensation while letting go of distractions and judgments
Yoga, Tai Chi
Yoga and Tai Chi are ancient practices that combine physical, mental, and spiritual disciplines. It aims to unite the body, mind, and spirit through various practices including physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation.
Grounding
Grounding, also known as earthing, is a wellness practice involving direct contact with the Earth's surface, such as walking barefoot on grass or dirt. The concept is that this connection with the Earth's energy can have a positive impact on overall health and well-being.
Journaling
Writing down your thoughts, feelings and gratitude weekly or twice a week can relieve the mental burden of keeping everything within your head. Use it as a brain dump and to process what’s going on in your life or to recognize what you feel gratitude towards amongst the chaos. It doesn’t have to be every day, picking a specific day each week also works and can help you feel not so overwhelmed.
The 13 Moons Diary is a beautiful diary that follows the rhythm of nature
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)
EFT or Emotional Freedom Technique, also known as tapping, is a gentle and effective approach that combines elements of acupressure, psychology, and energy healing. It involves self-applied tapping on specific meridian points on the face and upper body, while focusing on the emotional or physical challenges you're experiencing. This process helps release negative emotions, reduce stress, and restore emotional harmony.
You can learn more about this technique from The MuDojo.
Great routine activities to help calm your nervous system
Sound baths
A sound bath is a meditative experience where those in attendance are “bathed” in sound waves. These waves are produced by various sources, including healing instruments such as gongs, singing bowls, percussion, chimes, rattles, tuning forks, and even the human voice itself.
Energy work
Energy work refers to various practices that aim to harmonize and balance the body's energy field to promote healing and well-being. It's often based on the belief that our bodies have an inherent energy or life force that, when disrupted or blocked, can lead to physical, emotional, and spiritual imbalances. Energy work techniques include various modalities like Reiki, craniosacral therapy, and quantum energy healing.
Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy, or water baths, can be used in mental health therapy to help regulate emotions and improve overall mental well-being. It can be used to relax muscles and joints, reduce stress, and even enhance mood. The benefits of hydrotherapy extend beyond physical well-being, making it a promising avenue for addressing mental health challenges.
Cold Plunge
Being cold for short amounts of time has some definite health benefits and research is starting to confirm the benefits. Subjecting yourself to short periods of cold water has been shown to boost your immune system, improve circulation, deepen your sleep, boost energy levels, reduce inflammation, improve metabolic function, improve your mood and possibly extend your life expectancy.
Spa Days
A spa day is a day dedicated to relaxation and pampering, often involving a variety of treatments and facilities like massages, facials, body treatments, and access to saunas, steam rooms, or pools. The goal of a spa day is to help you relax, rejuvenate, and enjoy a sense of well-being. You can visit places like Olympus Spa (Lynnwood & Tacoma, WA) or many other locations near you.
Massage
Massage is a manual therapy technique that involves manipulating the soft tissues of the body, such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It typically involves applying pressure, rubbing, kneading, and stroking movements to promote relaxation, relieve pain, and improve overall well-being.
Day or multi-day retreats
Sometimes, a multi-day retreat or getaway to experience workshops or classes aimed at helping you reconnect with yourself or just take a break from work and society. Zen Heart Center in Bothell, WA, and Unwound Retreats in Seattle, WA, are great places to escape to when life gets to be too much.
Nurses in the Wild
A Space for Nurses to
Support Nurse Entrepreneurs
Nurse Community Support
Tara Kosmas MSN, RN, NC-BC, CHSE, SOAR; Founding Executive Director of Debriefing The Front Lines
Courtney Kindrew, RN BSN; President & CEO of Rekindled Nurse
Nurse Content Writing
Alexandria Nyembwe, RN; Authored by AJP
I am driven to showcase the diverse avenues available to nurses. I believe it is essential for nurses to explore and embrace various professional paths, highlighting the breadth of possibilities beyond traditional bedside care. By engaging in content writing, nurses can leverage their expertise to protect and serve the public in new and impactful ways while expanding their horizons beyond the bedside.
Retreats
Nicole Johnson, BSN, RN, CCRN, CEP, Unwound Retreats, Seattle WA, ph: (206) 948-0458
End-Of-Life Doula
Colleen J. Hewes DC, MSN, RN, End of Life Doula and Conscious Dying Educator, https://departingjourneys.com & www.gentlepassagedoulacollective.com, Seattle WA, ph: 206-819-0729
Finance
Angel Mathis MN, MPH, ARNP, RN, FNP-Bc, Nurses Investing for Wealth
Caring for the Elderly
Heather Suri BSN RN, CMC & Carrie Watson BSN RN; Pathways in Aging
Pam Dunwald, RN; Your Nurse Advocate Consulting LLC
If you are a nurse and have your own business, whether it is a side hustle or your main squeeze, and would like your business listed in the nurse community resource list, email me at hello@moonshinewellnesspnw.com