Our Meditative Mind Reminds Us of Compassion While Minding the Bedside

How can we call remaining in the present “meditation?” Is meditation merely a state of non-distraction? When do you find yourself most present? Most distracted? Whether distracted or present, each moment is an opportunity, an invitation, to meditate. Many people assume that we mediate by finding a cushion or quiet place and then sit, motionless, in a state of calm bliss. But, every moment that we’re awake can also be a moment when we’re aware. Each Moment is an Invitation to Practice Each moment that we’re present, whether with our family, friends, or those we care for, is a moment [...]

2019-02-26T11:58:19-07:00By |Compassion, Nursing|1 Comment

When Meditating, Don’t Give in To Distraction – 10 Tips On How to Stay Focused…

Distraction Isn't Your Enemy! Considering that the main objective of meditation is to arrive at a state of non-distraction without altering our mind, how do we deal with the fact that distraction seems to be the one thing that prevents us from meditating? Is there some easy way to deal with our tendency to get distracted? After all, we'd probably all be excellent at meditation if it weren't for the fact that we get so distracted during our meditation. And, it's this distraction that can become the most frustrating and cause us to abandon our meditation practice in favor of [...]

17 Ways to Practice Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life

Use Meditation in Everyday Life When we think about meditation or mindfulness, it's easy to get caught-up in the belief that we need to be sitting on a cushion, cross-legged, or located within a monastery to practice meditation. While these aspects of meditation can provide us with the support necessary to achieve a stable meditation practice, and while a formal meditation practice is the only way to become familiar with our mind, the primary reason to meditate, especially within the context of caring for another, is to become familiar with our true nature within our ordinary daily life. In fact, [...]

2019-03-14T11:42:19-06:00By |Meditation|12 Comments

Losing Compassion at the Bedside? Five Instant Tips….

COMPASSION ISN'T OUTSIDE OF YOU Compassion isn't something foreign to our minds and our hearts. It isn't something "out there" that we have to get or acquire. And, it isn't something that we need to learn (although we may need to remember it at times). Granted, there are times when we feel that to find even the smallest compassionate impulse for certain patients requires of us the most Herculean effort. There are also times when, either due to the amount of stress that we're experiencing, or the number of patients we're dealing with, it doesn't feel like there's "...enough to go [...]

Banish Toxic Behaviours (Guest Post)

GUEST POST In this post, it's my pleasure to introduce a new contributor to this site's content. As a guest blogger, Holly Ashby brings to the community an important aspect of preventing burnout in nursing; how do we work with ourselves to positively affect our environment. We've covered this topic before in discussing how we can use mindfulness, awareness and compassion. Here are a few of Holly's ideas.  Banishing Toxic Behaviours It’s very easy to develop certain behaviours and habits throughout your life without even realising it. Some of these can make a positive impact, like realising you’re actually a [...]

2018-12-17T09:31:23-07:00By |Guest Post|0 Comments

Mindfulness for Job Burnout and Addiction (Guest Post)

For this post, I'd like to introduce my friend and peer Tiffany Swedeen. Tiffany is a talented and multifaceted RN who works in the Northwest. Tiffany's rich experience and her journey into and through a difficult period of life inspired me to share her vision and work in this post.    Job Burnout Took Me By Surprise     As an eager new nurse working in acute care in 2005, I wrote an article on ‘Job Burnout” for my department’s nursing newsletter. I believed my suggestions would encourage the more seasoned and weary staff to seek self-care. Little did I [...]

2018-08-01T09:15:42-06:00By |Uncategorized|3 Comments
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