2020 - A year in review
It’s that time of the year again when we look back at everything we’ve done in the past year. Slightly cliched but effective! I know 2020 was a weird year. But part of my philosophy is to always look for the good and always look for the lesson.
So… what has happened in Autonomic HQ in the last 365 days?
I feel so lucky that it took me quite a bit of time to remember every amazing thing that has happened to me this year… and another few days to narrow the list down to these few highlights that I will be sharing with you guys!
Here are the top highlights of 2020 for me…
Highlight #1: Opening The Phoenix Protocol
It has been my dream for several years to open a membership for nurses who wanted more from their work. I developed something I wished had existed so much when I was a young nurse. I wanted community, I wanted to learn, I wanted to make sure I could be the best nurse possible. The Phoenix Protocol is growing and changing with the needs of our wonderful members and it's a privilege to be working with you.
Highlight #2: Being asked to speak at several nursing group meetings.
Many of them had to be filmed and sent via links due to COVID. But I loved being able to share my message for nurses about shift recovery and self-care. Everyone knows about it but often don’t do it properly!
Highlight #3: Getting to know so many great nurses
I love that having this business enables me to ‘meet’ and interact with so many great nurses not only in Australia but Worldwide. This sharing of experiences assists me to plan programs to help us all. It is always interesting to look into other people’s backyards!
Oh wow, what an incredible year!
I am so grateful for everything that has happened in 2020 and I look forward to many more years with all of you!
Don’t forget to do your yearly reflection too. Grab some paper and write your top 3 highlights for 2020.
Here’s to another great year together as we enter 2021!
If you want to make 2021 a year to remember then I have something great to help you on the journey. The Phoenix Protocol (TPP) is a membership to help nurses find career fulfilment, prevent burnout and love their life, has a monthly self-care calendar for you to tick off each day. For more information on TPP click here.
Working the holidays
Summer is here (in Australia!) However, being a shift worker can make this time of year seem impossible to truly enjoy.
False news!
Here are some of my tips and tricks to enjoying the season regardless of which shifts you have been allocated.
Schedule things you want to do. Merely wishing to do them isn’t going to get anything done. If it's not written it's not happening! As soon as you get your roster write your shifts in your calendar and then write in your playtime!
Working a day shift?
Try:
Playing a twilight sport
Going to the movies
Going out for dinner
Checking out the remaining Christmas lights
Watch the sunset
Walk along a beach
Board game night
Make time for your hobby.
Working an arvo shift?
Try:
Watch the sunrise
Morning drive
Morning bike ride
Brunches out
Play sport (ie tennis)
Practice your photography skills on a walk
Have a picnic
Get your hair and/or nails done.
For our night duty workers, many of the above can be utilised pre or post-shift if you make a plan for them. A concrete plan. Not just a dream. But it's important to make sure it is going to be safe for you especially around tiredness and driving.
For those who get 2-3+ days off in a row make a plan for a getaway. Get out of the house, keep active. Don’t waste your summer days cleaning and washing. You deserve some downtime too.
Think at the end of summer will you be pleased you vacuumed? Or will you be pleased you snuck away to a local coastal town for a night?
Need more tips and tricks for self-care? The Phoenix Protocol (TPP) is a membership to help nurses find career fulfilment, prevent burnout and love their life, has a monthly self-care calendar for you to tick off each day. For more information on TPP click here.
I did a shocking thing
I did something extreme the other day. This may shock you, so prepare yourself.
This is something that really matters to me… so here I am, sharing this with you!
… Are you ready for it?
I called in sick for work...and I wasn't really sick.
Before you start unsubscribing or throwing eggs at me, let me explain myself! I have a REALLY good reason behind why I took this sick day. For a start, I had zero patients booked into my clinic. This never happens. So no patients were harmed at all in the making of this blog post.
It may go against ‘the norm’, but here’s why I did it:
I believe that it is ok for nurses to call in sick even when they aren’t sick. The mental health day is severely underutilised and also still really shamed in nursing. I know we all rely on each other on the wards but we also need these days, so we can be our best when we are at work. The chicken and the egg you know.
Because I did that, I went back into work fully refreshed the next day. I had had a delicious mental health break. I watched The OC on Stan (Team Ryan obvs) and sat in the sun in my backyard. Time slowed and so did I. When I rolled into work I was 110% there again.
Because I did that, I could feel within myself a mood booster which I know will last a while. I had felt for the last couple of weeks a creeping mood. I was getting annoyed and irritable at work. This was not like me. Through some self-reflection and positive selfishness, I knew I had to do something for me. I had to be the one to change- work wasn't!
Because I did that, I can now be here on my soapbox encouraging you to have a mental health day. Remember you don’t have to give a reason for sick leave, don’t feel bullied into sharing or making up an illness. Please don’t use the day to do boring household tasks. I’m officially banning that.
I know it can be shocking. And I’m sure some of you may think it is really irresponsible and harsh to the nurses left at work. But I don’t do or teach things just because everyone else does them. I test them out for myself. I am a better team player and ward contributor now I have had a day to myself. I can give MORE now instead of less like before it.
Coincidentally, this is how my lovely nurses I have worked with get to love their work. They look after themselves. Positive Selfishness for the win.
I understand that my methods aren’t typical, but I don’t want you to be typical.
The average nurse trying to love their work does not get there by following what they have always done or what everyone else does.
I want you to be the one to love their work and be content and I challenge you to follow my strategies. You WILL see results without having to burn yourself out.
Have you signed up for the waitlist for our ‘The Phoenix Protocol’? While the doors to new members are currently closed click here to get yourself on the VIP waitlist to get the latest information sent directly to you. The Phoenix Protocol is a monthly membership of motivation, education and support for our nursing community.
Also are you new to nursing or starting to feel the pinch of burnout? Check out our Love Your Work Course. A 4-week email-based course to give you the basics of burnout, compassion fatigue and self-care. Click here for more information.
School of life - Lessons learnt as a nurse
After years of being a nurse, I would say that I've learned many interesting lessons the hard and painful way. It was tough when they happened, but I am grateful for these lessons now as they have made me so much stronger!
If you want career clarity and career fulfilment, you will need to learn these lessons at some point in your journey. Let me save you some time, heartache and money!
After all, I want my hindsight to be your path forward.
Here are some of the hardest lessons I had to learn:
● That I and I alone would have to fix how I felt about nursing.
I realised that after too many shifts crying in the toilets and with sheer exhaustion at the end of these shifts, it became clear that it was up to me.
The truth was that the system sadly isn’t ready (yet!) to be able to properly look after us. This was a tough realisation but it also paved the way for me to take control.
● I had to embrace failure.
I realised this meant that I had to acknowledge that what I thought my future was and what my previous work choices were, had not been right for me.
This made the biggest difference when I realised that once you acknowledge a mistake, this is an important step in not repeating them. It can be difficult to accept responsibility for failures. I get it. Go slow.
● If I wanted things to change then I had to change.
This was a natural progression which came from spending time increasing my self-knowledge. It was difficult and took me too long to realise I had to be more intentional and conscious.
What I tried was bringing it all back to me. I like to think of it as positive selfishness and it worked!
Can you relate to any of the above lessons?
I just really don’t want you to focus a lot of time on just trying to love your work. I really hope that you can start focusing purely on you and you will go far.
Are you signed up to our weekly Handover email? Each Sunday arvo you will receive an email from me written to give you a message for the week along with interesting reads related to your nursing practice and improving your life. Plus GIFS. Always GIFS. Click here to sign up.
Also are you new to nursing or starting to feel the pinch of burnout? Check out our Love Your Work Course. A 4 week email based course to give you the basics of burnout, compassion fatigue and self-care. Click here for more information.
Do you make these fixed mindset mistakes?
Warning!
I have seen fixed mindsets holding back my Autonomic Angels again and again. So I thought about writing this to ensure that none of you ends up being an unwitting victim of this fixed mindset flop.
Here are 3 signs that you could be a victim of a fixed mindset:
First, you give up easily.
If you find yourself having a small knock and feeling like a failure then you, my dear, may be falling victim to a fixed mindset.
Second, you think that nursing has to be hard.
Do you and be honest with yourself, believe the following statements?
‘I can enjoy my work as a nurse. I can work the hours I wish. I can leave work energised’.
Too many people think nursing has to be hard, manual, exhausting and unfulfilling work? Fake news! Nursing is whatever you make it.
Third, you think you cannot improve on something
Is there a skill you want to pick up? But don’t believe you can do it. ‘It doesn’t come naturally to me’. Is that you? If you think skills are only for those for whom it comes naturally then my friend we have to chat.
So are you a victim of a fixed mindset?
If you are, don’t worry. It is still not too late! You can still turn things around, starting now.
All you have to do is to start slowly looking for the good in each day. I think gratitude is a perfect place to start for those wanting to incorporate a growth mindset into their lives.
Of course, it is easier said than done, but it CAN be done.
I want to see you succeed, so I hope that for the next week, without fail, you will note 3 good things about your shift as you leave the ward. Snap a pic, write out your 3 and tag me in a post on your socials. Encourage others to follow and we can change the world!
The doors have now closed for The Phoenix Protocol. Monthly membership for nurses who want to love their work and live their life. With education, support and community.
Join the waitlist to become an Autonomic VIP and keep informed on when we will welcome our next group.
If you want these blogs sent hot into your inbox (plus much more) sign up here for our Handover email. A short and sharp Sunday arvo delivery to get you informed for the week ahead.
To keep going deeper into your career clarity journey please consider our Love Your Work course- more details here.