NURS 478 Self Care Journal

Your Name: _____Sage Char-Lee_____ Your Buddy: _________Kristin Cabatingan___________

Select any evidence-based intervention/recommendation to follow (do this over 8 weeks):

 Sleep at least 7 hours per night before and after a work or school day
 Practice mindfulness meditation for at least 10 minutes everyday
 Complete at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, such as biking under 9
mph, dancing, jogging, or playing tennis; or complete 60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week,
such as running, kickboxing, or jumping rope.
 Participate in two professionally led yoga classes for one hour or longer per week
 Spend up to 2 hrs in Nature or longer per week
 Other (Must get your Clinical Faculty approval first, and activity should be up to 2 hrs or longer
per week)

Complete Weekly journal entries:

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
1 I slept for 8 hours per night before classes. I did this for all 7 days of the week.

Comments on Activity:
This was very easy for me because I always put a huge emphasis on sleep and I try my hardest to get a
full 8 hours of sleep every night. I believe this is something I will continue to do even going into the
workforce.

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

2 On week 2, Kristin and I went on a hike to Sential Peak. We hiked for 90 minutes.

Comments on Activity:
I really enjoyed this time during our hike, once we got to the top of the peak we reflected on our past
four years in college and discussed how much we have grown and evolved since freshman year. We
discussed future plans we have after graduation and how it is such an exciting yet nerve racking
experience. I felt much more calm after the hike and we decided to plan on doing it again sometime.

Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

We both thought this hike was very much needed. With our lives running at a fast-pace due to upcoming
graduation, job applications and planning our next moves after college, hikes always helps us return to
the present and focus on the now.

M O’C Fall 2018

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
3 For week 3, I decided to go on a walk around my neighborhood about 3x this week. My walk lasted for
about 1 hour.

Comments on Activity:
I really enjoyed this time that I had to myself. I have never gone on walks by myself but I realized how
calming it can be. It gave me time to focus on myself and appreciate the scenery around me. I also
enjoyed it because I was able to listen to music during my walk.

Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

Sage and I have been incorporating walks into our weekly routine as much as we can! It keeps us in a
good headspace and allows for the tension of the day or week to melt away.

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

4 For this week, I decided to start journaling. I did this once a day for a week and journaled for about 30
minutes each day.

Comments on Activity:
My self-care buddy, Kristin actually recommended I do this so I started and have truly enjoyed the
process. It allows me to transfer my thoughts and through that, I am able to identify and process them in
a more complete way than if I never wrote them down. It is something that I will continue to do and
hope to make it more frequent.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

I recommended journaling to Sage as I noticed the difference it was making in my life! It helps me
reprioritize the things I need to focus on in life and help me steadily achieve my goals. I hope Sage finds
journaling helpful as well!

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

5
For week 5, I decided to take extra time during my night time routine and dedicate it to self-care. I did
this every night for a week.

M O’C Fall 2018

 Comments on Activity:
I believe pampering yourself is such a calming thing to do and I noticed it really improved my mood
and sleep I would get that night. I would do face masks, paint my nails, make tea etc. and just spend
some extra time on things for myself. I learned that you don’t have to do anything extravagant or time
consuming to treat yourself.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

I really liked Sage’s intervention this week. It inspired me to take extra time in my own personal night
time routine! I have always had trouble sleeping and maintain good bedtime hygiene is an essential
factor to this. We both agreed it’s the little things that make the biggest differences!

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

6 For week 6, I decided to practice meditation. I did this once a day in the morning for about 15 minutes.

Comments on Activity:
Meditation is something that I have wanted to implement into my every day routine but have never
gotten around to this. For this week, I decided to put my mind to it and see how it would change my
mindset and outlook for the day. I noticed it made me much more calm and in turn, made me feel less
stressed. I was able to focus on my tasks I had to complete for that day without feeling stressed out by
them.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

Meditation is another form of therapeutic intervention to help bring us back to the present. I am so
proud of Sage for being so grounded and focusing on her mental health!!

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

7 For this week, I started my mornings with yoga for about 20 minutes every day.

Comments on Activity:
I have always enjoyed practicing yoga so this week I was extremely excited to do this every day.
Similarly to meditation, it calms my senses and makes me feel less stressed. I do prefer it over
meditation since it incorporates physical activity which I enjoy.

Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

Sage also inspired me to begin doing yoga. It benefits an individual both physically and mentally, and
even a little time spent doing yoga each day can allow an individual to maintain their well-being!

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

M O’C Fall 2018
 8
For my last week, I went to the mall on campus with some friends and sat down on the grass to watch
the sunset. I did this twice during this week for about 2 hours each time.

Comments on Activity:
I loved this activity because it included some of my favorite things to do such as spend time with my
friends and watch the sunset. It makes me feel so appreciative for the people around me and the time
that I am able to spend with them. We made it a point to not be on our phones during this time so we
could spend more time with eachother.
Complete Survey Below
(Once Completed submit entire document to D2L Assignment Drop box by Due date and add to Your
Portfolio.)

Reflection on Panopto presentation and 8-week intervention:

What did these activities teach you?

These activities taught me that it is truly the simple things in life that bring you the most joy. A lot of
times, people try to fill their life with happiness by buying a new car or changing up your wardrobe but
in actuality, it time for self-reflection and surrounding yourself with friends and family that will bring
you true happiness.

Have you noticed any changes in your life since you began this intervention?

I have definitely implemented some of these activities into my daily routine such as outdoor walks and
journaling. I find enjoyment in these new additions and it brings a certain level of self-reflection that I
previously had not done.

Will you do anything differently now? Please explain.

I will try my best to continue with these activities into my life while working because I believe that is
when it will bring most value to my life.

Comments/suggestions:

Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with these statements:
Following an evidence-based recommendation to reduce burnout was valuable to me.

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

M O’C Fall 2018
 Agree Disagree
5 4 3 2 1

This 8-week intervention will help me implement preventative strategies for burnout in my career.

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree
5 4 3 2 1

This Panopto presentation titled: “Nurse Burnout: What this is and how you can minimize it in your careers”
effectively taught me how I can reduce and address nurse burnout in my career.

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree
5 4 3 2 1

Completing the Big Five Personality Test was helpful for exploring my risk of nurse burnout.

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree
1 2 3 4 5

M O’C Fall 2018