Difficult patients. Long shifts. High-stress working environment.
These are just some of the things that can contribute to burnout. And if you’re not careful, these are the exact things that can make you quit the job and leave the profession.
If you’re on the brink of making that decision, stop right there.
Listen:
A lot of times, burnout happens because one fails to process his emotions, manage stress and put himself first. Simply put, your failure to be more proactive about your well-being can get in the way of you protecting your passion.
This is where keeping a gratitude journal fits in.
Now, you’re probably wondering…
What Is A Gratitude Journal?
A gratitude journal is a simple tool you use to keep track of all the good things that are happening in your life. No matter how stressful or busy your day was, there’s surely something to be thankful about.
Let me give you some examples:
- You get to save someone’s life today.
- Your patient entrusted you with a personal story.
- Your patient thanked you.
- You didn’t have to work late today.
- Your co-worker bought you coffee.
Seriously, this list can go on and on. If you can just be more aware of the good things happening around you, you surely won’t have a hard time with your gratitude journal.
To get started, there are a couple of ways you can try. The simplest and easiest way, however, is to just write your ideas down. It can be on an old notebook, a piece of paper or on a post-it note.
You should do this every single day. It can be in the morning after getting out of bed or just before you hit the sack.
Doing so will give you the following benefits:
- You can lower your stress levels.
- You’ll feel calmer.
- You’ll be able to appreciate life more.
- It can help you be more focused at work and in life.
- It can help you gain clarity about your purpose.
- You’ll be able to learn more about yourself.
- You can use it to deal with your negative emotions.
Now, if writing sounds too plain and boring for you, here are some creative journal ideas you can try.
Take pictures
If you’re finding it hard to express your ideas through writing, you can simply take a picture. You can use a Polaroid camera or your phone’s camera and just have the image printed. Paste the photo on a notebook or a photo album and write down the date. You can also include a brief explanation of what it’s all about or just leave it as it is.
Draw it
In case you’re really creative, you can make your gratitude journal a lot more personal by drawing what you’re thankful for that day. It can be the food you ate or a gift you received unexpectedly.
Write one word
Gratitude journals don’t have to take too much of your time. In fact, you can do it with just one word per day. You can use different colors or write using a fancy font to make your journal more lively.
Use quotes
If you can’t think of anything great for the day, you can write down your own quote or a quote you learned from someone else. Briefly explain why that quote mattered to you and who you got it from.
See Also: 50 Nursing Quotes to Inspire and Brighten Your Day
Draw a chart
Another really great way to keep track of all the positive things in your life is to use a chart, particularly a pie chart. Divide it into four sections and use these sections to take note of what you are thankful physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally.
Put it in a jar
Instead of keeping all your ideas in your notebook, you can write it down on a piece of paper and place it inside your gratitude jar. Do this every day until your jar is filled up. If you ever have a bad day, you can simply take out your jar and get a piece of paper from it. Reading positive things will make you feel calmer.
Keep it on your phone
You don’t have to skip your daily gratitude journal just because you’re too busy or too tired at work. By installing a gratitude app on your phone, you can easily log your ideas for the day whenever and wherever it’s convenient for you. Some of your great options include Gratitude 365 and Gratitude Journal.
See Also: How To Make Your Own Nursing Shadow Box
