Personal Wellness Reflection PDF

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Personal Wellness Reflection April Stewart GCU: HLT-302 Dr. Randy Weisberg September 6, 2020

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When it comes to self-care, many people fail to see the importance of it. They go through their daily lives on auto-pilot sometimes not realizing they are neglecting themselves, and their health gets put on the back burner. Self-care consists of having a balance in mental, physical, and spiritual health. When someone has compassion fatigue and burnout, their health takes a hit too. It is very important to take time to care for yourself to maintain a healthy and well-balanced relationship with yourself, so positive vibes are reflected onto others. There are so many ways to prevent compassion fatigue and burn out. Normally this is a side effect of being a caregiver for someone in need, which can cause emotional and physical exhaustion and can reduce one’s empathy sensory. It is not uncommon in the health care professional community such as doctors and nurses, and is often referred to as “secondary traumatic stress” (DailyCaring, 2020). Basically it causes stress from continuously caring for or wanting to care for those who are suffering. If this is not managed appropriately it can take a toll on your health and well-being. Coping with compassion fatigue and burnout takes commitment and acknowledging there is a problem. One needs to be aware of any changes in their level of compassion fatigue and stress. Make caring for yourself a priority with exercise, healthy eating, restful nights sleep, and take time for yourself often. Keep social connections as this prevents loneliness, depression and isolation. Journaling can reduce stress by putting your thoughts onto paper and out of your head and can help you find solutions to things that might be challenging you. Positive coping skills is important as well, such as taking a walk, deep breathing, meditation, and visiting with friends. Having a hobby improves your quality of life by doing something fun and creative that makes you happy. If after doing all of these you are still feeling burnt out, seek a counselor or therapist,

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as sometimes having that outside person to talk to can help you deal with what might be underlining those issues. Promoting personal mental, physical, and spiritual health can be done in many ways. “Exploring personal spiritual core by asking questions about who you think you are and what your meaning is” (Wellness.edu, 2020). “Look for deeper meanings in life by analyzing occurring patterns and experiences will show me that I have complete control over my destiny” (Wellness.edu 2020). Expressing my feelings and emotions, whether it is out loud or on paper will help me maintain a strong focused mind. Meditation and yoga are also two physical techniques that can help ease a busy mind and promote and improve my spiritual wellness. And finally, positive thinking refocuses my mind to be happy and healthy. When I can eliminate any negativity and revamp my thinking I am more relaxed and at ease with my thoughts and feelings. If I don’t care for myself and take the time to make sure my well-being is ok, then taking care of others will be impacted. How can I promote a healthy mindset and lifestyle if I am not living that way myself? I look to my faith in God, and my self care practices, making me a better health care professional. Caring for others is my passion, so burnout and fatigue just is not an option in my mind. So I have to do everything I can to keep that from happening, promoting a healthy mind, and physical, mental and spiritual health is one of my main practices as a nurse.

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References: DailyCaring, (2020). How to Cope with Compassion Fatigue: 8 Tips for Caregivers. Retrieved from https://dailycaring.com/how-to-cope-with-compassion-fatigue-8-tips-for-caregivers/ Wellness, (2020). Seven Ways to Improve Your Spiritual Health. Retrieved from https://wellness.ku.edu/seven-ways-improve-your-spiritual-health...