My New Year's Resolution

traumaRUs, MSN, APRN

I am a type A person. I know it, my family knows it, my co-workers at AN know it! I commit to something and I'm off and running with it. I have never been a person to sit around but rather run head long into the fray....every time! As I get older (and yes, even I am getting older), I've slowed down a bit, taking a little more time to look around before jumping in. Now, I still jump in, but I do it just a few seconds later.

So...my resolution for 2016 is to take life just a little slower.

First, I want to spend more time with my family. So, with two jobs and two volunteer activities, I must work smart. I found some tips from Inc:

Take breaks - it helps our brain declutter and helps us to focus. Thinking to myself I could do this.
Take naps - benefits the learning process. Well, this is one I don't think I can do. Doubt my bosses would appreciate me turning off phone during my nap. However, I think for some jobs this might work. Probably not in nursing.
Spend time in nature - helps you to reset your attention span and relax. I do this when the weather is nice by taking walks outside. I live in the country so walks are super nice and relaxing.
Move and work in blocks - breaks down work into manageable bites. This sounds very doable for me too. As nurses we do "tasks" a lot. So, if we break our tasks down into little parts, the whole gets done and we don't get overwhelmed.
Check your email first - I like this idea also. When I worked as a staff nurse, email was the way our hospital communicated things of interest to us. Now, as a provider, our practice still uses email for many items. We even have secure texting, pics, phone calls and email to cover HIPAA compliance.

Second, when I do spend time with my family, I want to BE there. You all know what I mean: you are talking with your spouse at the end of a shift and while he/she talks, your mind wonders to "what happened to that GIB pt in 315?," "did I chart the Zofran I gave to that pt at noon?," "did I weigh the last diaper that little one had in G204?" You are looking at them, but hardly paying attention. I am very guilty of this. Because I take some call from home, I'll be looking at my husband but thinking about something else: a patient situation or a phone call or note that needs to get done.

Third, and I deliberately put this last because I try this every single year: I am going to lose weight! (There, its in print - yeah!) I wear scrubs to work so weight gain is cleverly hidden by an elastic waist and baggy legs. However, my jeans tell a different story - I now own jeans in three sizes - ugh! And...I must lose weight in order not to have to purchase two seats on airplanes. My bosses do not want to pay for an additional seat because I have outgrown one seat. And...I sorta have a plan: I have an Apple watch now (see my review) and I'm just competitive enough that I want all the rings on the activity component to be complete. I am realistic though: I'm not 25, even 35, even 45...errr....I'm older than that! So, losing weight is truly become a health hazard.

Nurses seem to care for themselves last - I know I do in many areas of my life. We owe it to ourselves to be kind to US in 2016.

What resolutions are you planning? How do you plan to accomplish your goals?

References

Five Scientifically Proven Ways to Work Smarter, Not Harder

My New Year's Resolution

About traumaRUs, MSN, APRN

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