NURS 478 Self Care Journal

Your Name: Morgan Postal________________________ Your Buddy: Ashley Baire____________________

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
This week I practiced mindfulness for 10 minutes a day, as did Ashley. I used the breathing exercise and
mindfulness app on my watch. My watch combines vibration with breathwork to allows you to close
your eyes while having a breathing exercise to really focus on the feelings of your breathwork.
Comments on Activity:

I enjoyed the mindfulness breathwork that I did this week. It allowed me to daily take some time aside
to just relax and not focus on anything other than my breath. I feel like when I choose to relax, I tend to
read a book or listen to music and it was a nice change to not have any alternate stimulus. I liked to do
my breathing before bed and I found that after doing my mindfulness breathing I was relaxed, could go
to bed more quickly and go into a deeper more relaxed sleep.
Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
2
This week Ashley and I made sure to sleep at least 7 hours daily. I found myself coming home from
clinicals at 0700 (I am on night shift), being asleep from 0830 to around 1700. This was closer to 9
hours on a nightly basis. During the days that I was off, I also slept at least 7 hours, but I would take a 4
hour midday nap and then sleep 6 hours each night.
Comments on Activity:

I found that I think I need to sleep a little bit less than 9 hours to feel well rested. I felt almost pressured
and panicked to go to bed after getting off of night shift and found myself sleeping more than I would
normally had I not been on night shift. I am not sure if it was a combination of working full time at the
hospital during my preceptorship or sleeping more than my golden amount of sleep, but I found myself
constantly tired and felt groggy. In past experiences, I am more well rested feeling if I sleep around 8
hours each night. I am interested to repeat this intervention after my preceptorship is over and my sleep
schedule is more regular. I have a feeling I will be able to have more of a routine that is catered to my
personal style and not the timeline that I am having to accommodate to during preceptorship and it will
go better the second time around.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

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 Ashley stated that she felt well rested, was more focused during her preceptorship and was in an overall
better mood. She also commented on wanting to have better sleep hygiene for example her bedtime
routine brushing teeth, taking vitamins, moisturizing, etc. was improved. She said that not only did it
improve her overall mental well-being, it also gave her some extra built in self-care activities.
Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
3
This week Ashely and I agreed to spend at least two hours in nature. We agreed that we could do this
together and took a trip up to Mt. Lemmon for the day. We were on Mt. Lemmon from 1300 to 1700 for
a total of 4 hours.
Comments on Activity:

I loved being in nature and getting a change of scenery from campus and my home. It was kind a track
to get all the way up to Mt. Lemmon but when I was up there I felt revived by the fresh air, green
scenery and change in weather. When we got home, I felt very awake and refreshed and felt ready to be
productive and get all of my homework and tasks done for the day that I had planned and when I did, it
felt like less of a chore than usual. It was very nice to have a friend to share the experience with even if
we were not communicating the entire time, just to share in each other’s presence with no other
concerns or tasks. I also felt that while we were taking in the day and decided to change paces or
location, we were not as rushed or concerned with timing as we usually are which was nice as well and
led to a sense of well-being.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

Ashley also stated that she loved this experience and found it to be very beneficial. Ashley took the
exercise further and did some mindfulness out in nature and she told me that she thought it was great
and that I should try it next time. One added benefit that Ashley found that I had not originally
considered was the loss of cell service on Mt. Lemmon and how it was nice to not have access to the
outside world via social media or texting. Ashley shared in the benefit of going up to the mountain with
a partner and felt that it strengthened the “ease’ of our friendship in not having to feel like we were
constantly communicating, but just together.
Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
4
This week Ashley and I decided that we would go to the gym together at least three times and spend at
least an hour at the gym each time totaling up to 3 hours. While we had high hopes, we only ended up
making it to the gym together once and individually once in part due to the studying of our exams this
week.
Comments on Activity:

Ashely and I both agreed that it was hard for us to go to the gym without someone else encouraging us
to go or holding us accountable. As someone is not naturally prone to wanting to go to the gym, I found
myself procrastinating or choosing to do other productive activities that I deemed more valuable. I think
part of why I do this is because I do not feel comfortable in the gym as I do not know how to work
much of the equipment. I found that when I got it together and actually did go to the gym, I felt
energized and my mood was much improved. Lastly, I found that in doing something I was not at first
excited about but found to be enjoyable, I was wanted to go back the second time, even if it was without
a friend coming along to hold me accountable.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

Ashley agreed that it was easier for her to make it to the gym when she had a “gym buddy” who could
both physically go with you, but also participate in specific exercise activities with you. Ashley found
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 that she also had insecurities about physically going to the gym and not knowing what to do when she
got there but found that she knew more than she thought that she did. Ashley stated that realizing she
could hold her own in the gym was empowering and exciting and was a great self-confidence booster.
Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
5
This week Ashley and I went to two professionally led yoga classes each being one hour long for a
duration of two hours total. We went to one class together and one class individually.

Comments on Activity:

We both loved the yoga experiences. Our first class that we did together was a rooftop yoga class
downtown in the evening. It was nice to be able to experience the change of the environment from
evening to night and to be in fresh air while we did the yoga. I found myself to have an improved mood
following both yoga classes and sleep well both night I did the yoga classes.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

Ashley commented that sometimes it can be intimidating to go to a class that you are not familiar with
and it was nice that we went together as our intro class. Ashley stated that her second class was much
less intimidating for her. We both reflected that as part of the yoga practices that we were exposed to,
mindfulness and controlled breathing exercises were incorporated into the class which was an added
benefit.
Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
6
This week, Ashely and I agreed to complete a minimum of 10 minutes of mindfulness daily. I chose to
implement confused breathwork as part of my mindfulness practice and tried to complete each breathing
session in nature when possible. I completed 5/7 mindfulness sessions outdoors this week.
Comments on Activity:

I found that doing controlled breathing exercise in nature, especially earlier in the morning when it was
cool outside, invigorated and energized me. I found that following a session outside, I was ready to be
productive, I was in a good mood, and I enjoyed my day more than usual. I found that when I completed
my mindfulness breathing inside, it tended to be late at night and I was already tired. When I did the
breathing at night, I had a tendency to fall asleep. I think both the invigorating morning breathing and
relaxing evening breathing have benefits, I am more aware of my body and how it responds to different
stimuli and can plan what I want from mindfulness a little better after this week.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

Ashley stated that she found the mindfulness to be much easier this week than when we completed it in
week 1. Ashely stated that she was not sure if she is getting better at quieting her mind, or because she
feels less stressed out about school this week than she did on week 1 of the journal. Regardless of why,
Ashley found that this week especially, she found benefit in daily mindfulness exercises and plans to
incorporate more of them into her daily life to continue to improve.
Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
7
This week Ashley and I chose to return to the gym for a total of 150 minutes of exercise for three
sessions each lasting 50 minutes.

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 Comments on Activity:

I was very encouraged to see my change in mood after each exercise session and the lasting energy that
I had following the gym session. There are certain weeks in school that prevent me from working out
the way that I want to or I choose to prioritize other activities ahead of working out, so it was nice to
reach our goal of going three times. I have also noticed that through making an effort to work out this
semester and keeping myself accountable with the self-care journal, I have increased muscle definition,
especially my calves, which is extra rewarding and will keep me coming back to the gym.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

After speaking to Ashley, I realized that an increase in mood and energy levels is a common response to
physical activity and exercise. While Ashley was not able to complete her goal of 150 minutes and only
went to the gym twice for a total of 100 minutes, she did notice these effects and felt more confident the
second time going to the gym, Ashely stated that she truly enjoyed being pushed to go exercise from
this self-care exercise and will continue to try and go in the future more because she knows it is good
for her body and she enjoys it.
Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
8
This week Ashley and I chose to spend time in nature for a total of two hours and we decided that a nice
way to do this was to have a picnic in a local park.

Comments on Activity:
This was one of my favorite self-care activities that I had done throughout this self-care journal process.
It was nice to not only get out of the house and spend time outdoors and in the sunlight, but have time
with one of my best friends in a different setting and to enjoy each other’s company. We brought food
to the park and watched a soccer game. An added benefit of going to the park for a picnic was that we
were able to see the sunset. As someone who is often indoors doing homework or making dinner at the
time of sunset, I realized how much I missed this and how I will make it a priority to observe more
sunsets in the future.
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?

These activities taught me that while you may be busy, taking a few minutes away from your day for
yourself will make you happier and more effective to tackle all of the tasks required of you. I often think
I do not have time to spend on myself, however I found that the opposite is actually true and that I
should take more time for myself.

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

The biggest change that I have noticed in my life is my readiness to say yes to different activities with
friends or family members. My change in taking time for myself for self-care activities translated into
other areas of my life. I feel that I spend more time doing things that make me happy and still am able to
get all of my required tasks done and am happier overall for it.
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 Will you do anything differently now? Please explain.

I will continue to go to the gym three times a week following this exercise. I truly enjoyed not having
anything to think of but bettering myself while I was there, the increase in mood and mental
engagement I noticed, and the positive effects on my body. It was difficult to have the energy to go to
the gym during preceptorship while I was also doing assignments and catching up on lectures, however
with a more regular schedule, it is easy and enjoyable to fit it in to my daily routine.

Comments/suggestions:

I know I jumped around a lot with my self-care activities which may have limited the amount of
personal growth and benefit I got out of them due to a non-sustained practice, but I did think it was
beneficial. By changing around what activities I was doing I stayed excited about the activity and found
activities that I found to be more beneficial than others and was then able to repeat the exercises that I
liked the best. I would suggest to myself if I were to do it over again or to other students who will be
completing this exercise to spend the first four weeks experimenting with which modality they like the
best and the last four weeks getting into the habit of repeating modalities for practice and personal
growth that comes with repetition.

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

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