Retreat to Return

Hiker sitting in woods resting

Summer is a season most of us look forward to all year with more outside time for gardening, barbecues, picnics, baseball games and concerts. And, this increased activity can feel overwhelming in our already very full lives. Instead of trying to squeeze it all in, we need to take a step back and slow down…

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The Growth Mindset of Self-Leadership

Mary, a self-proclaimed people-pleaser and chronic worrier, was feeling a lot of anxiety about a decision she wanted to make, fearful of making the wrong one. When I asked her the best way she could support herself, she immediately responded, “I crave some time and space away to slow down, regroup, and just be”. While…

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What are You Resisting?

The AONL Conference in Boston last month was great for connecting with like-minded colleagues and gaining inspiration from thought leaders like Adam Grant, author of Think Again, The Power of Knowing what You Don’t Know. He says our biggest bias is thinking we don’t have bias! Bias creates resistance to change our mindset, which is…

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Self-Leadership is Self-Love

What’s love got to do with Self-Leadership? As it turns out, everything. The nurses I coach in the Well-Being Coaching Initiative are high performers in their healthcare organizations. They hold themselves to very high standards and when they don’t meet their often unrealistic expectations, they can be harsh and critical of themselves. Common statements I…

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Compassion Begins with You

One of my favorite components of the Well-Being Coaching Program is celebrating the Champions and Coaches at Graduation after fulfilling the requirements for certification. It is a special day to recognize their hard work in developing Self-Leadership, reveal the results of their assessments, and hear their individual stories about what the program meant to them.…

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7 Habits of Highly Empowered Nurses

71% of nurses don’t believe their well-being is a priority to their organizations. While every Nurse Leader I know has workforce well-being at the top of their list, it’s hard to determine what to do about it. Empowering nurses in their own well-being is a start and requires commitment at the organizational and the individual…

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How to Move from Burnout to Balance

Person balancing on Rock

Last month I presented (in-person) to nursing students and leaders at Purdue University School of Nursing and UTHealth Cizak School of Nursing. What a gift for all of us to be together after virtually meeting and gathering for the last two years! Nursing students are one of my favorite audiences because they are the future…

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Make the Connection

Spirituality

In the last 2 years, I have coached a lot of nurses, from frontline staff to Chief Nursing Officers. While they all want to make a difference, they share the false belief that they never do enough. They say, “If I could just get more efficient… organized… faster…I could get ahead and be a better…

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5 Misconceptions About Burnout

Carol, a seasoned ICU nurse started to cry uncontrollably on her way to the grocery store. After spending the last four days working her 12-hour shifts, she felt completely overwhelmed with the idea of driving to, navigating in, and unpacking from the grocery. Feeling frustrated and even embarrassed, she made the decision to go home…

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Retreat to Recover

Diane's team

Last month my team and I spent 3 days in the mountains for a retreat, the first time we were together in person in two years! Even though I have been leading retreats for 25 years, every single one reminds me of the importance of getting away to recover. We all agreed this one was…

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