NP Business™ Tip: Taking Care of Self so you can Take Care of Business.

Let's face it. We are Nurse Practitioners. We've been caring for our patients and most likely our families for years. We are known for caring and we are excellent at taking care of everyone. But I'd bet if you are like most professionals I speak with, you are not so good at taking care of "Self".

We have each chosen our wonderful careers for a variety of reasons. However, they also demand our intellectual, sometimes physical, and occasionally emotional and spiritual energy. This can leave us drained, and thus stressed. And we all know the end result of stress.

On the other hand, we know how well we do when stress is reduced, when we take the time to renew ourselves on all levels. Valentine's Day, the ultimate "I love me" day, is a great time to remind our professional caring side what we need to do to care for self and thus be fully present for our families, friends and our patients.

If self care is a bit of a challenge for you, here are some tips that may help.

1. Leave work at work when possible. We all know it's not always possible, but as much as you can, finish work at work.
2. Create an ending ritual to end the day, the week and even to end an "on-call" phone call with a patient. It will allow you to move forward and not bring the clinical stuff with you.
3. If your work is chaotic, create an islet of sanity, even if it's 5 minutes long. While on this islet, breathe.
4. Create a ritual for yourself for when you need to de-stress. For example, escape to the nearest beach, meditate, listen to music, go shopping, or engage in your favorite activity.
5. Get plenty of sleep.
6. Exercise on a regular schedule (daily is ideal). Going to the gym often creates more stress...so don't go. Consider instead a brisk walk or a bike ride. Engage in the activity that stirs your soul.
7. Include in your diet not only the healthiest of foods, but also foods the highest in antioxidants.
8. Consider acupuncture. I find that every time I have a treatment session, I am refreshed and relaxed. Others will find they like body or foot massages.
9. Meet friends for an evening of comedy and make sure you belly laugh as much as possible.
10. In this busy, noisy world, silence is often the perfect treat to de-stress and be able to hear your own voice again. I recommend silence as part of your daily routine.

NPBO Action Steps:

1. What are some ways you can take 5-10 minutes to recharge your batteries during a busy day in practice?
2. What are your favorite activities that leave you relaxed and refreshed?
3. Grab your calendar and schedule time for a weekend retreat for rejuvenation. What would that look like for you? Can you schedule 1 per month? 1 per quarter?
4. How can you enlist support from those closest to you? Remember, they WANT to see you take care of you!
5. If practice chaos and lack of systems is keeping you from having time, what is the one small thing you can fix today?
6. Remember to laugh...daily.

© 2010, Barbara C. Phillips, NP. All Rights Reserved.

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