'Tis the Season to Find Silence

As the year ends and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season increases, so does the stress.

I was reminded of that this past Thanksgiving. As I was working through my to-do list for hosting Thanksgiving this year, I stopped and thought … what am I stressing out for? Be thankful for the opportunities that God has bestowed upon you. Don’t get lost in the lists and tasks of the season. 

The fact that we can have a gathering of such size is a win already. Who cares about the rest? Well, I do … the typical Type A nurse inside me was already emerging. She can be a beast sometimes. 

The more I accomplished, the more I found I could do. I stopped dead in my tracks and thought, but why? Certainly, nobody is going to think about or even notice these minor details I am killing myself to pull off. Then I was reminded of a deadline I had coming up and it occurred to me, I am in a swell of avoidance! 

Who? What? Me? Yes, it hits us all at any time. I was keeping myself busy to avoid what needed to be completed. 

We need to pause to understand what is going on and why it is happening in order to move forward. I know myself; it can be hard to pause among all that needs to be done. But we need to pause to take inventory of our lives and the end of the year is a great time to do that. 

If we don’t take time to reflect on what has occurred, how do we move forward to achieve our goals? Especially if we are in need of healing past traumas. I have spoken to a lot of nurses this year. What I am seeing is a lot of nurses are stuck. Some are paralyzed by the trauma of the past. Some are paralyzed by the fears of the future. The past few years have been difficult for so many. Nurses are the saviors, and we sacrifice so much for our patients, family, friends, neighbors. I have to ask, when do we sacrifice for our own well being? 

We know that the healthcare industry has been struggling long before the pandemic. I am not sure when or if it will ever change. The one thing I do know is in the end it comes down to you. Only you can control your response to the trials and tribulations we face in today’s healthcare world. How we respond says a lot about our character and integrity. Some choose to complain about the seasons or situations they are in. Some choose to move through it, finding their own way towards new job opportunities. Some take the leap of faith and launch their own nurse-owned businesses.

I would invite you to take some time this holiday season to reflect and be still. In a world that has become so noisy, reflect upon who you want to become. What do you want to achieve in the next year? Lay out your goals for 2023 by making a list. Revisit the list often to assess your progress. Check in with yourself, is what you are doing daily getting you closer to your goals or further away from them? Think of it as your own personal care plan. We made nursing care plans for everyone else back in school, who says we can’t make a nursing care plan for our own lives?  Get silent and still this holiday season. 

In the words of Mr. Rogers, “real revelation comes through silence.”

To learn more about my experience as a nurse business owner and entrepreneur, visit my blog.