NURS 478 Self Care Journal

Your Name: ___Brigid Clark_____________ Your Buddy: _Celeste Jones________

Select any evidence-based intervention/recommendation to follow (do this over 8 weeks):

 Sleep at least 7 hours per night before and after a work or school day
 Practice mindfulness meditation for at least 10 minutes everyday
 Complete at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, such as biking under 9
mph, dancing, jogging, or playing tennis; or complete 60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week,
such as running, kickboxing, or jumping rope.
 Participate in two professionally led yoga classes for one hour or longer per week
 Spend up to 2 hrs in Nature or longer per week
 Other (Must get your Clinical Faculty approval first, and activity should be up to 2 hrs or longer
per week)

Complete Weekly journal entries:

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
1
Attended two professionally led hot yoga classes at Sumits Yoga Tucson. The first one was an 80-
minute class and the second one was a 60-minute class

Comments on Activity:

I absolutely love hot yoga at Sumits Yoga. Each time I go I am able to evaluate how I am feeling
emotionally, mentally, and physically. This week I had two great practices and felt energized.

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

2
Attended two professionally led hot yoga classes at Sumits Yoga Tucson. The first one was an 80-
minute class and the second one was a 60-minute class

Comments on Activity:

This week I felt a little off and could tell a major difference on how I was feeling before the classes
versus how I felt after. My whole body in general felt relaxed afterwards and anxiety free.

Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

I texted Celeste this week and checked in with how she was feeling for the exam and what she was
doing to prepare for it. I encouraged her to get as much sleep as she could prior to the exam to feel
refreshed and well rested. I also encouraged her to push through her last week of clinical in addition to
working as a tech!

M O’C Fall 2018

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
3
Attended two professionally led hot yoga classes at Sumits Yoga Tucson. The first one was an 80-
minute class and the second one was a 60-minute class

Comments on Activity:

This week I felt great and energized when I went to yoga. I went to the earlier class times, therefore it
really set the tone for the rest of my day. These classes also helped me relieve stress about starting my
preceptorship.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

Celeste and I communicated via text again this week and checked in on each other. She was explaining
how she was feeling so much better and had more energy because she was sleeping 8 hours during the
night. We both talked about how we completed our goals for this week and were looking forward to the
next!

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

4
Attended two professionally led hot yoga classes at Sumits Yoga Tucson. The first one was an 80-
minute class and the second one was a 60-minute class

Comments on Activity:

These classes were a little bit harder to fit into my schedule because I started my preceptorship, but I am
glad I made the effort to fit them in. I have had a lot on my mind, and it was nice to have over two hours
that week completely to myself and worry free.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

Celeste and I both checked in with each other after the exam to see how we were feeling. We both had
slightly less energy because of the exam and lack of sleep, but were able to encourage each other to
keep up with our self-care practices to re-energize for the next week.

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

5
Attended two virtually led hot yoga classes at Sumits Yoga Tucson (Due to COVID 19). Both of them
were 60 minutes in length.

Comments on Activity:

M O’C Fall 2018

 This week was the first week that classes were moved to online. This week was especially stressful
because I was moving back home to Illinois and it was such a quick transition. However, my yoga
studio started to do yoga classes virtually and it was really nice to be able to work out from home and
still be able to practice yoga mindfully in the midst of that huge transition.

Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

I texted Celeste after everything transitioned online just to see how she was doing. She told me about
her camping trip and how she was excited to de stress and have a relaxing time in the nature. I was
excited that she was able to take this time to relax. We both encouraged each other to make sure we
were practicing self-care especially during this time of transition.

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

6
Attended three virtually led hot yoga classes at Sumits Yoga Tucson due to COVID 19. All of them
were 60 minutes in length

Comments on Activity:

This week was my first week home, so I was able to attend a lot of the virtual yoga classes since I had
so much free time! These classes were nice because it added some structure and somewhat of a schedule
to my day since moving back home.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

Celeste and I both talked about how we were trying to make our self-care practices a habit and not just
something we do because we have to. We talked about how we could see improvement in our self-care
practices after doing it more and more and found it to be more effective!

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

7
Attended two virtually led hot yoga classes at Sumits Yoga Tucson. Both of these were 60 minutes in
length.

Comments on Activity:

These classes were nice, but I find that it sometimes is harder to focus and find a space in my own home
where I can fully immerse myself into my practice. Especially when there are environmental
distractions, but I really worked on focusing and improving my yoga practice.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

This week Celeste and I both agreed that it has been difficult to clear our heads when trying to do our
self-care practices. We both gave each other suggestions to try and improve on that and encouraged
each other to get through these last few weeks of school!

M O’C Fall 2018

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
8
Attended two virtually led hot yoga classes at Sumits Yoga Tucson. Both of these classes were 60
minutes in length.

Comments on Activity:

I felt great during and after these classes this week. I tried the harder modifications of some poses to
increase the difficulty of the workout since I don’t have the heat to tire me out like I usually would in
the studio!
Complete Survey Below
(Once Completed submit entire document to D2L Assignment Drop box by Due date and add to Your
Portfolio.)

Reflection on Panopto presentation and 8-week intervention:

What did these activities teach you?

The activities taught me that it is important to allow time for yourself to mentally relax and partake in an
activity that is enjoyable. There were a lot of transitions in my life and an abrupt change of events with
the pandemic that made me look even more forward to my yoga to help remain as stress free as
possible.

Have you noticed any changes in your life since you began this intervention?

I have noticed that it is easier for me to become mindful in a meditative state after practicing yoga
consistently each week. When I first started, it was difficult for me to turn off my mind and repetitive
thoughts to relax and give myself that hour with no distractions, however once I started consistently
practicing and focusing it progressively became easier. Now I am able to reduce some of my distracting
thoughts throughout the day because I am so used to doing it during yoga.

Will you do anything differently now? Please explain.

I will incorporate yoga into my life and daily schedule as much as possible moving forward. At first, I
always made excuses to not go because of my busy schedule, but I realized that I don’t need to attend a
studio in person to achieve the same self-care outcomes. I am able to practice yoga in my own home and
this pandemic has allowed me to find various virtual options that are suitable to my practice and
lifestyle! No matter how busy you are, I learned that it is important and feasible to take at least an hour
or two out of the week to dedicate to practicing a modality of self care.

M O’C Fall 2018

 Comments/suggestions:

Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with these statements:
Following an evidence-based recommendation to reduce burnout was valuable to me.

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree
5 4 3 2 1

This 8-week intervention will help me implement preventative strategies for burnout in my career.

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree
5 4 3 2 1

This Panopto presentation titled: “Nurse Burnout: What this is and how you can minimize it in your careers”
effectively taught me how I can reduce and address nurse burnout in my career.

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree
5 4 3 2 1

Completing the Big Five Personality Test was helpful for exploring my risk of nurse burnout.

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree
1 2 3 4 5

M O’C Fall 2018