Resilience Skills
The Compassion of Curiosity
While flying last month, I could not help but notice the significant body art of my seatmate. She had floral images the length of her leg with beautiful lilies, roses, and cherry blossoms. My immediate (and judgmental) thought was, why would anyone want all that permanent ink on their body? Thankfully, I changed my mind…
Keep Reading...Surrender to the Rest
Healthcare organizations everywhere are concerned about the well-being of their employees and Atrium Health committed to doing something about it. Last month, 17 ICU nurses graduated from my 8-week Well-Being Coaching Pilot (WBCP) at Atrium Health, Pineville. The statistically significant results of the pilot reflect practicing Self-Leadership skills improve well-being by decreasing stress and burnout…
Keep Reading...5 Signs You Are Powering Through
It was a double Monday. This is the day after a holiday weekend when lots of challenges present themselves—all at once. My email server went down, I made an error in a contract, a direct flight was cancelled, and supply chain issues delayed a time-sensitive order. In short, my planned to-do list was not getting…
Keep Reading...Make the Connection
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…
Keep Reading...Recovery is Your SuperPower
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…
Keep Reading...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…
Keep Reading...5 Steps to Recommit
I had a realization last month when I was planning to send my book to my editor. I opened up the manuscript to review one more time before sending and found it was not in the condition I remembered, in fact, I was sure there must be a more recent version! Apparently, I had been…
Keep Reading...Thank You for Your MOST Important Work
Waiting in line for my vaccination last month, I felt such a sense of hope and gratitude for the opportunity to re-engage in greatly missed activities, like baking scones with our granddaughters. The nurse who gave me my shot said, “This is the most important work I’ve ever done.” I was touched by her sentiment…
Keep Reading...Are You Overfunctioning? ONE Thing to Help
After coaching many nurses and leaders over the last year, I have noticed a common theme. When nurses are feeling overwhelmed or out of control, we tend to overfunction. Our inherent role as caregivers and problem solvers make this an obvious way to manage our stress, but it is not a sustainable one. Overfunctioning is…
Keep Reading...5 Things I AM LEARNING
We are in our 13th month of (you know what) and I am tired—of Zooming, masking, and social distancing. I miss traveling to see clients and host yoga retreats, sleepovers with my grandchildren, and birthday lunches with girlfriends. I know there is light at the end of the tunnel, but I am impatient for it…
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