NURS 478 Self Care Journal

¨ Sleep at least 7 hours per night before and after a work or school day
X 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 Monday: 10-minute meditation in morning; ‘Letting Go’
Tuesday: 10-minute meditation in morning; ‘Anxiety’
Wednesday: Did not complete; traveled home in very early AM and forget in PM
Thursday: 10-minute mediation in morning; ‘Breath & thoughts’
Friday: 10-minute meditation in morning; ‘Chakra balance for positive energy’
Saturday: 10-minute meditation in morning; ‘Clear mind and positive new habits’
Sunday: Did not complete; traveled home in very early AM and forget in PM
Comments on Activity:
I notice that my main difficulty meditating in the past was not feeling comfortable when I am sitting
down. As the week progressed and thanks to my cushion from IKEA, I felt more comfortable in my
seat. This allowed me to focus better on breath, not physical discomforts. On Friday, my first meditation
was interrupted by a phone call, so I did 1.5 meditations. Both meditations that day had a visualization
component. I struggle with visualization and generally can’t do it, but I still think I benefitted from the
mediations. One thing I did that helped me implement this into my routine was to meditate early on in
my morning routine. I noticed that if I save my meditation for later in the morning, it doesn’t get done
or I feel more anxious during it.
Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
2 Monday: 10-minute mediation before bed; ‘Sensing’
Tuesday: 15-minute meditation in morning; ‘Extended meditation’
Wednesday: 10-minute meditation in morning; ‘Start your day’
Thursday: 15-minute meditation in morning; ‘Being the boundless-becoming your best self’
Friday: 10-minute meditation before bed; ‘Sleep’
Saturday: 10-minute meditation before bed; ‘Sleep’
Sunday: 15-minute meditation in morning; ‘Anxiety’
Comments on Activity:
I did at least 10 minutes of meditation 7 days this week. I completed 4 of the meditations in the morning
and 3 before bed. Again, this week I noticed I was distracted when I completed the meditations later in
the morning. Some mornings it feels easier to meditate than others, but I think I am improving just by
being consistent. I prefer morning meditations and find that in the evening my mind wanders much
more; however, I do fall asleep faster after completing them. I think I am finding my flow with
incorporating meditation into my routine and hope next week I can find the sweet spot for the time of
day I meditate. I also want to do more unguided meditations next week.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

M O’C Fall 2018

 Grace and I went to brunch at Snooze for our buddy check-in. This week we both felt like we were more
consistent with our self-care habit than our first week. Grace said she got greater than 7 hours of sleep
before work/school most days. We are both curious to see how well we can maintain our self-care habit
next week when our preceptorships start.
Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
3 Monday: 40-minute meditation AM ‘Higher self’
Tuesday: 10-minute meditation AM ‘Self-compassion’; 10-minute PM ‘Connecting’
Wednesday: Did not complete
Thursday: 10-minute meditation AM ‘Self-compassion with Uncle jack Charles’
Friday: 10-minute meditation AM ‘Be present’; 10-minute PM ‘Breathing’
Saturday: 10-minute meditation AM ‘Anxiety’; 20-minutes stary night and ocean meditation
Sunday: 10-minute meditation AM ‘Self-compassion’
Comments on Activity:
This week I did at least 10 minutes of meditation 6 days of the week. I started doing 10 minutes of yoga
before some meditations, and that helped me feel more comfortable. However, I oftentimes do not have
enough time to do both yoga and meditation in the morning. I meditated most mornings and felt that
helped ground me a little bit before my day. I don’t know if I am focused enough to do unguided
meditations. My mind frequently wanders, especially at night. It was not as hard as I thought it would
be to add meditation onto my preceptorship.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)
Grace thought she did okay get 7 hours of sleep and waking up early. Early in the week, she wasn’t
successful, but then she was so sleep deprived that it was easy to fall asleep right when she got home.
We had midterms this week, so Grace couldn’t sleep because of nerves, and I couldn’t meditate that
morning.
Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
4 Monday: 10-minute ‘Self-compassion’ AM; 15 min ‘Oceans’ PM
Tuesday: 10-minute ‘Growing inner strengths’ AM
Wednesday: 10-minute ‘Beginners mind’ AM; 10-minute ‘Sensing’ PM
Thursday: 10-minute ‘Sinking’ PM
Friday: 10-minute ‘Calming’ PM
Saturday: 10-minite ‘Self-compassion with Uncle Jack Charles’ AM; 15-minute ‘De-activate’ PM
Sunday: 10-minute “Respond Rather than react’ AM
Comments on Activity:
I was able to meditate for 10-minutes every day and even twice a day on some days. I would love to do
a morning meditation every day, but sometimes I just run out of time or start my day without
meditating. When I meditate at night, I frequently get lost in thought. I appreciate meditating at night
because I fall asleep faster, but I feel the mental benefits of doing it in the morning. I have been feeling
more comfortable and calmer doing meditating this week.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)
Grace had a difficult time sleeping 7 hours a night before work or sleep this week. She had to do day
shifts for her preceptorship but had a nightshift for her externship in the middle of the week. It was hard
for her to adjust from day shift to night shift and back. She also had a bad headache that prevented her
being able to sleep.
Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
5 Monday: 6-minute ‘Starry night’ PM
Tuesday: 10-minute ‘Feeling” PM
Wednesday: ’10-minute ‘Sounds, body, breath’ AM; 15-minute ‘Thanking’ PM
Thursday: 10-minute ‘Mindful listening’ AM; 10 ‘Switch off’ PM
Friday: 10-minute ‘Self compassion’; 15-minute ‘Unplug’ PM
M O’C Fall 2018
 Saturday: 10-minute ‘Breath and Sounds’ AM; 10-minute ‘Sinking’ PM
Sunday: 8-minute ‘Body scan’ AM; 15-minute ‘Balancing chakras with healing energy’ AM; 6-minute
‘Starry night’ PM

Comments on Activity:
I think I really found my groove meditating this week. I meditated for at least ten minutes a day, and,
sometimes, I even meditated multiple times a day. I have been doing yoga before meditating when I
have the time. On Sunday, I had more time and did two meditations in the morning for enjoyment. I
truly do enjoy meditating and the calm it brings me in the moment.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)
Grace had another night shift this week which really impacts her ability to sleep 7 hours a night. She
said she did better once she was adjusted. We both feel like at this point we are consistent with our self-
care habits.
Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
6 Monday: 10-minute ‘Mindfulness of emotions’ AM; 10-minute ‘Breath” PM
Tuesday: 7-minute ‘Mindful listening’ AM; 3-minute ‘Counting and blowing’; 10-minute ‘Sinking’
PM
Wednesday: 10-minute ‘Self-compassion’ AM
Thursday: did not complete
Friday: did not complete
Saturday: 10-minute ‘Feeling’ PM
Sunday: 10-minute ‘Self-compassion’
Comments on Activity:
I only meditated 5/7 days this week. Honestly, I have been feeling very burnt out recently and have been
struggling to find the motivation to do even the small things at times. I appreciated doing meditations
like ‘Self-compassion’ and ‘Mindfulness of emotions’ to help identify and cope with what I am feeling.
The two days I did not meditate I ran out of time in my morning routine because I slept in.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)
We both had busy weeks this week with our preceptorships and shadowing clinical faculty. Grace had a
busy week, so it felt challenging to keep up her 7 hours of sleep. She did not get a full 7 hours before
shadowing the ICU charge RN because they start at 4 am (WOW!). Grace and I have both been feeling
tired and burnt out recently.
Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
7 Monday: 10-minute ‘Connecting’ PM
Tuesday: 10-minute ‘Accepting’ PM
Wednesday: 15-minute ‘Oceans’ PM
Thursday: did not complete
Friday: 10-minute ‘De-activate’ PM
Saturday: 10-minute ‘Self-compassion’ AM; 10-minute ‘Switch off’ PM
Sunday: 10-minute ‘Growing inner strengths’
Comments on Activity:
This weekend I primarily did evening meditations. I meditated 6/7 days of the week for at least ten
minutes. I still think I get more benefit meditating in the morning, but it is nice for me to have the
option of doing it in the evening. I redownloaded social media after a while without it, so that has been
wasting time in my morning/preventing my meditation. I hope to get back on track soon!
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

M O’C Fall 2018

 Once again, Grace and I are burnt out. I think it says more about nursing school than about us though
haha. Our schedules stabilized this week, so it was easier for Grace to get enough sleep. She had bad
migraines during the week though and that impacts her sleep. She also had to wakeup early multiple
days to sign-up for Disneyworld reservations, which I found very funny. We both agree that practicing
self-care is much easier on days off.

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

8 Monday: 10-minute ‘Accepting’ PM
Tuesday: 10-minute ‘De-activate’ PM
Wednesday: 15-minute ‘Oceans’ PM
Thursday: 15-minute ‘Thanking’ PM
Friday: 10-minute ‘Switch off’ PM
Saturday: 15-minute ‘Unplug’ PM
Sunday: 10-minute ‘Balancing your chakras’ AM; 10-minute meditation PM

Comments on Activity:

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 Panopto taught me lots of facts about burnout. One thing I found especially helpful in the Panopto
was how work environment impacts burnout/what factors to look for when applying to jobs. Even
though I just completed one activity, I learned about a variety of habits and hope to get to a point where
all these habits are a part of my routine.

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

Since I started meditating for ten minutes a day, I have felt more in tune with my emotions and internal
dialogue. I can better respond to situations rather than just react. I feel more present and mindful in my
day-to-day life. I plan to continue my meditation journey after this 8-weeks and continue exploring
unguided meditation. I did enjoy adding meditation to my routine, but, honestly, I don’t know if it
helped with my burnout. I have felt incredibly burnt out and depleted these past few weeks and
meditating has often felt like a chore. I am hoping as the semester winds down, will feel more motivated
to do my meditations and other things that are good for me.

Will you do anything differently now? Please explain.

If I were to do this 8-weeks again, I don’t know if there is anything I would do differently. I think I
really committed myself to this self-care task and was able to incorporate meditation into my routine
well. One aspect mentioned in the Panopto was having more mindfulness in everyday situations. I think
I improved this by meditating, but I could have benefitted from intentionally focusing on mindfulness in
M O’C Fall 2018
 my daily routine. I also enjoyed doing yoga before my meditations and would incorporate that \earlier if
I were to do it again.

Comments/suggestions: N/A

M O’C Fall 2018