ONE Thing to Remember About Your Vacation

Beach chairs on beach

The 20 ICU nurses and managers chosen to be in my Well-Being Coaching Pilot are bright, high-achieving, and committed to their profession. They are also self-aware and can articulate what they want to improve in their lives, but don’t always know quite how to do it. Self-Leadership coaching is central to the program and provides…

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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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Recovery is Your SuperPower

Boy flexing arms like a super hero

I woke up to a beautiful Colorado blue-sky morning feeling dark, disappointed and depleted. Everything felt heavy and I immediately searched for sources I could blame: My high-energy husband, happily whistling away while he worked…My Golden Retriever tracking my every step, eager for his morning walk…My scratchy throat, maybe I was getting sick…I was in…

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5 Ways to Fall in Love—With Yourself

I used to dread Valentine’s Day, resenting all the commercialism and hype. I now realize I was missing an opportunity to focus on myself instead of the inflated cost of flowers and chocolate. Whether you are currently seeking a love relationship, in one, or happily single, you can’t give what you don’t have, so falling…

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ONE Question for Your New Year

Hands Holding Coffee Mug

There is a real paradox every New Year. While it offers a fresh slate and a new beginning full of endless possibilities, it can also bring a lot of self-imposed stress and overwhelm with high and often unrealistic expectations. You already know the list: eat healthy, exercise more, spend less, and so on… Instead of…

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It’s About Time: 3 Practices for the Holidays

Holiday bows and branches

Do you ever find yourself saying, I don’t have time for this! Especially when life provides you with little but costly inconveniences like your car not starting, computer crashing, or chai tea spilled in your lap? Whether you look forward to the holidays or suffer through them, they require more from us—attention, energy, and time.…

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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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My Compassionate Reminder in the ER

Diane Sieg in the ER

I never imagined I would end up in the ER on my beach vacation. I am healthy, active, without risk factors, and if you work in healthcare, you know it takes a lot for any of us to admit we need help. But after experiencing mild chest pain all afternoon that increased to a pain…

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Presence with a Rattlesnake

Rattlesnake in tree

Every Friday morning, I practice my recovery with a solo hike up Gregory Canyon in Boulder, Colorado. A couple of weeks ago, I was ¾ of the way down, completely lost in my thoughts, when a runner passed me going up yelled, There’s a rattlesnake on the trail ¼ of a mile down! That announcement…

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