…I sat down to write this post with a feeling of “what to write about” swirling around my brain. So I felt into my heart. What I came up with is that it is August 1, 2012. The beginning of a new month. The second half of this year. I hear the phrase over and over at work “Where does the time go?” or “This year sure is flying by!” Do you hear yourself saying similar words? So today I wanted to write to the “pause”…
…As nurses, we have so much to do. Our work is never ending. Our task load is constant. We get pulled in so many directions. We get phone calls, beeping machines, bed alarms, interruptions, questions, complaints, etc… the list goes on and on. Sometimes it may feel as if our head is spinning and swirling. We find it impossible to keep up. We feel distracted, disjointed, disengaged…
…Last night I had to take my own “pause”. On Tuesdays I lead my group program, Six Weeks of Support. It was week 4 and each week things have gone smoothly and all of the technology has run well. I typically log onto the computer and the call at least 25 minutes before the start. I like to be prepared and ready. Well, last night the phone line was not accepting my call…
…I tried from the cell phone, from the house phone… I tried waiting a bit and calling back. I tried whatever I could think of. I even tried the old call in line that I used to use but that was working either. So what was I to do? And to top it all off, it was 7:30 (class start time) and my participants were logged on to the computer screen… they could see me, but we had no sound…
…Well long story short, we got through the class (started 45 minutes late after all was said and done!), but we did it. And it went well and it was a success. So why am I sharing this story with you? What does this have to do with the “pause” or with nursing?…
…Last night could have gone two ways. 1) I could have gotten extremely frustrated, starting banging and throwing things, and exhibited great impatience. I would have gotten myself all worked up. I would have felt angry and upset. I would have come close to tears. And this may have even led me to give up. To just log off and not even do the class. 2) Or I could have done what I did… which was take my time, breathe, pause, and do what I could with what I had…
…I chose the second option. I kept trying, but not forcing. I flowed with what was handed to me. So since the phone wasn’t working, I switched the call sound to function through the computer speakers. Since my callers could hear me, but I could not hear them- we got onto a conference call. We did what we had to do. And we all benefited from the experience. The participants experienced and learned from the material. And I learned from this experience (to have a plan “B”!)…
…So with respect to nursing, where can we “pause”? Well, if we are having a difficult day and things are not going our way we can stop. If we feel our shift is going down the tubes we can ask for help. If we are feeling pulled in millions of directions we can focus in on the one specific task at hand and realize that the more we flail about trying to multi-task, the more our work suffers…
…And so you may be thinking, “How do I do this?” Amidst my fast-paced, high-demanding job… “What can I do to ‘pause’?”
• Take a deep breath. We are never given more than we can handle. If things are going hay-wire it could be a subtle cue. Do you need a break? Are you trying to hard? Have you been multi-tasking? Is there a lesson to be learned?
• Ask for help. Humble yourself and realize it is ok to receive. Sometimes we can’t do it all. Sometimes we need help.
• Let go of “forcing” it. By trying to control something that is not meant to be we are only going to be met with resistance. If it keeps getting harder and harder it may be a sign that an unnecessary struggle has presented itself.
• Remove yourself. Go take a break. Sit in quiet. Focus on your breath. Once you take some time to regroup you will be that much more effective when you return.
What are some other techniques you can add to this list? How have you been able to “pause” in your own life? In what ways does it help you?
