Editor's
Note
Happily
ever after
Benefits
of self-care are no fairy tale
Joellen Koerner,
Ph.D., MSN, RN
Midwest Edition Editor
January
15, 2001
Do you
remember Jiminy Cricket singing "When You Wish Upon
a Star" at the start of each episode of "The Wonderful
World of Disney"? I can still hear Gus and all the
little creatures singing "A dream is a wish your heart
makes" as they prepared Cinderella’s gown for the ball.
Many of us were socialized on fairy tales that featured
dreams, wishes and a Prince Charming who would rescue fair
maidens and live happily ever after. While passive activities
such as waiting and wishing are great for fictional characters,
life has something more substantial in mind for mortals
like you and me.
We are
experiencing the dawn of a new year, a time marked by the
age-old ritual of making a New Year’s resolution. This practice
rests on the assumption that we have the capacity for choices
and actions more powerful than the passive roles assigned
to the heroines of our youth.
For
some, the resolution is a wish, as evidenced by the busy
schedule in a fitness gym – at least through February.
For others, a resolution is a pledge, a commitment to something
that matters that comes from a place of deep and sustained
resolve. What sort of resolution are you making to yourself
this year?
Nurses
are wondrous and vulnerable creatures. The commitment to
caring is our birthright and the trademark of our contribution
to society. We have become experts at putting others first
in our lives, at home and at work. While this is a noble
undertaking, it also is an expensive one. So much is given
to others that, often, only a small amount remains to sustain
and revitalize ourselves. I believe that this is the core
of the burnout and dropout cycle.
In this
issue of NurseWeek, you will be treated to stories
from nurses about how they care for themselves, so they
are more present in the caring act of nursing others. They
live by what I affectionately call the "Airline Principle":
Give yourself oxygen first so you can care for your child
or others.
Caring
for yourself is at the core of caring for others; it is
essential to an authentic relationship. Why do you trust
some people, and why do some people open up to you? Jack
Gibb, author of Trust:
A New Vision of Human Relationships for Business, Education,
Family, and Personal Living, states that "people
trust those who trust themselves. The hallmark of that trust
is keeping commitments they make to themselves."
What
rich and life-giving commitments are you making to yourself
this year? How do you plan to keep them? We can authentically
walk with people on their health journey only to the degree
that we experience health in our own life. The greatest
gift we can give to those we love and serve is our own best
and most vital self.
So,
put self-care into your life and live by the Airline Principle.
Create your own reality – and eat your heart out, Cinderella!
