Vermont Nurse Connection - November 2021

Page 6 • Vermont Nurse Connection November, December 2021, January 2022
Seeking and Finding Balance continued from page 1
and darkness. Finding and keeping life balance is not
easy by any stretch of the imagination. It is fraught with
trials, errors and starting over again. It’s being served
and serving, taking and giving. 3 Whenever we’re out
of balance, we feel “off,” as if something just isn’t right.
Those bodily signals in and of themselves are messages
urging us, often subtly, to get back to a more grounded
state. While it’s true that we can (and often do) operate in
an imbalanced state of being, it’s always less than ideal
and, according to Ayurveda, the root of all illness. 4
The challenge of work-life balance is without question one
of the most significant struggles faced by modern man.
- Stephen Covey
People have an enormous capacity for both conscious
and unconscious choices in their lives. Conscious
choices involve awareness and skills such as discipline,
persistence, goal setting, priority setting, action steps,
knowledge of options and recognition of perceptions. We
can enhance our awareness, knowledge and new skills,
and be active participants in daily living, not passive
observers who hope that life will be good to us. Being
alive becomes more exciting, rewarding and fulfilling.
Even when frustrations arise, the balanced person is
Opportunity Awaits
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Adult Day Program
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Signs and Symptoms of Being Out of
Balance
Sense of failure and self-doubt.
Feeling helpless, trapped, and defeated.
Detachment, feeling alone in the world.
Loss of motivation.
Increasingly cynical and negative
outlook.
Decreased satisfaction and sense of
accomplishment.
Source: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/
burnout-prevention-and-recovery.htm
able to recognize choices and decrease the barriers to
maximize human potential. 5 Embracing a balanced
lifestyle is the foundation of well-being, because it has
immediate and long-term effects on our health and wellbeing.
It incorporates elements such as developing and
maintaining good physical health and fitness, maintaining
an appropriate level of energy and vitality, having
the ability to express creativity, enjoying emotional
and psychological stability, engaging in harmonious
relationships, developing effective stress management
strategies and coping skills, attaining financial stability, as
well as discovering a sense of purpose and meaning in life.
If I want to retain my inner peace, I must be willing to
consistently and persistently tend to the garden of my
mind moment by moment.
~ Jill Bolte Taylor Ph.D., My Stroke of Insight:
A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey
One of the reasons that finding work life balance is so
challenging is our thought process. While our thoughts
can be our allies, they can also be our greatest enemies.
Limiting thoughts weaken and restrict you, keeping you
from realizing your true potential; they hold you back
and drain your personal power. Empowering thoughts
give you strength and build your personal power. They
strengthen your connection to your Higher Self. 6 My
years of nursing have taught me that there is a place at the
center of our being where we all know who we are, where
we know undeniably that we are whole and complete and
that we need both balance and imbalance. One cannot
recognize balance without recognizing imbalance. When
we strive for balance, we need to be gentle and forgiving
of ourselves. The truth of the matter is that we can’t do it
all. Trying to do it all is a set-up for a 24-hour guilt cycle.
Instead of continually feeling guilty and stressed in your
quest for balance, turn your attention toward doing the
very best you can do every day with the time you have and
whatever you do, don’t look back!
There is nothing I ever need to have. There is nothing I
ever need to do. I say NO to the demands of the world. I
say YES to the longings of my own heart.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie
Nurses have long been considered to be the backbone
of the healthcare system and the link between the patient
and the physician. Should finding a work-life balance be
a priority? My answer is a resounding yes. If we want to
be successful as human beings first and successful nurses
second then we have to take care of our health and learn
to work smarter not harder. Although “work-life balance”
is hardly a new concept, nurses everywhere continue
to debate how best to achieve it. No single technique
works for everyone. The key is finding out what’s most
important to you — in your personal life then your career
and making sure you prioritize it in your daily plan. The
most important thing to remember in the quest for worklife
balance is that you may never achieve perfection, but
it is well worth the effort to always seek and find balance
personally and professionally.
We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on
our own ‘to do’ list. ~ Michelle Obama
1 Van Bogaert, P., Kowalski, C., Weeks, S.M., Van Heusden,
D., & Clarke, S.P. (2013). The relationship between nurse
practice environment, nurse work characteristics, burnout
and job outcome and quality of nursing care: a cross sectional
survey. International Journal of Nursing Studies. 2013
Dec;50(12):1667-77.
2 Reid, D.P. (1998). The complete book of Chinese health &
healing. New York: Barnes & Noble Books.
3 Akradi, B. (2021). Seeking Balance - The intentional practice
of exploring all sides of a situation can bring about a more
centered perspective – and better quality of life. Retrieved
July 8, 2021 from: https://experiencelife.lifetime.life/article/
seeking-balance/ https://chopra.com/articles/seeking-balancefinding-your-lifes-true-north
4 Brady, A. (2020). Seeking Balance-Finding Your Life’s True
North. Retrieved on August 30, 2021 from: https://chopra.
com/articles/seeking-balance-finding-your-lifes-true-north
5 Dossey, B. M., & Keegan, L. (2009). Chapter 9 Selfassessments.
In Holistic nursing: A handbook for practice.
Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
6 Rivas, M., (2012), How to use hidden mind powers and
ancient wisdom to create wealth and much more. Retrieved
June 12, 2021 from: www.unlimitedinnerpower.com
Priscilla Smith-Trudeau, MSM, RN, BSN, CRRN,
HNB-BC is board certified in holistic nursing and board
certified in rehabilitation nursing. She has been a nurse
for over 40 years and understands the interconnectedness
of body, mind and spirit. She brings a holistic,
complementary and integrative focus to her practice.
When Out of Balance Stop and
breathe.
Take inventory of your stressors.
Say “no” to new commitments.
Delegate where possible.
Unplug frequently and daily.
Set boundaries.
Engage in healthy activities.
Seek support.
Practice gratitude.
Source: https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/ninestrategies-alleviating-nurse-burnout/
The ANA-Vermont website has been updated:
ANA-Vermont.org. We will continue to update and
expand the website.
Do you want to stay updated on the latest ANA-Vermont has to offer?
Learn of webinars offered by the ANA?
How you can earn CEU hours?
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E-Mail: vtnurse@ana-vermont.org