nursingforsocialjustice

It can be easy to only see the bad in a situation. Sometimes I think that one of the primary ways human beings relate to one another is through complaining. Do you ever feel like even on the best day, someone will still be complaining about something? Are you the type of person that will actively work to try and move the complainer to a place of satisfaction and personal well-being or are you the type that will jump down and begin in wallow in the put of complaint, perhaps even trying to outdo them? Are you are glass half full kind of person or a glass half empty?

In my own life there is cognitive re-framing that is necessary to get my head out of the seemingly unending spiral of negativity that happens sometimes when I have a bad day at work. The process requires effort and also mindfulness. The process requires thought stopping, willfully ending the negative thought and looking for the positive, the opportunities, rather than the problems. The process is the same as using a strengths-based approach in nursing, an approach that requires the nurse to view the strengths of the patient, the person, rather than the illness and whatever problems and deficits accompany that. I think it is necessary to regularly reflect on the parts of your job that make you happy and fulfilled, in addition to all the challenges and obstacles that may exist. So, what do you appreciate most about your workplace? What are the opportunities for growth and positive change? And, if you were not able to identify any, what is keeping you in your current workplace? What are the repercussions on your mental health, your home life, your co-workers and the people in your care?

Peace,

Michelle D.