Take Time to Breathe
Turn the Volume Down
Life appeared to be somewhat normal before Covid-19 virus when there were countless voices vying for our attention. Now, the priorities are completely shifted and not just once but daily which adds to the anxiety we may be experiencing and to concerns as to the next steps to take. You may feel consumed with “fear of the unknown”, and nurses understand viruses and bacteria and such! This is different. All you have to do is look at the grocery shelves and the stock market. There is a level of uncertainty in the world today, and I mean literally today!
Care providers naturally think of their patients first and during times like now family and loved one are pretty much on the top of the roster as well. Our time is required at work, so we leave our loved ones and may put ourselves at health risk in order to care for others. That is what nurses do. We are accustomed to consoling patients when they experience fear of their unknown: surgery, a new diagnosis, death, or unexpected event but who takes the time to console, encourage, listen to, or simply just be when we hurt and are in need?
We have always been reminded to “take care of you. No one else will”. In part, I believe that to be true. We do have to use our talents, knowledge and skills to make a living; however, we do not have to go it alone completely. Physically, you may have to be somewhere to use your talent, impart your knowledge and demonstrate your skills. Mentally, you don’t have to be at any particular place to take care of your spiritual mind, your spiritual inside. You can participate in mental exercises anywhere and at anytime of every day.
Unless you make an effort to retreat from life’s noisy demands for a moment or two, you cannot filter out the noise and turn down the volume in your mind to allow for peace to take over and fill that space for future use. Removing the distractions of constant communication through the phones, mobile devices, computers. TV, news, music, and phone notifications is the only way to clear your mind so you can have “clarity of mind”, which is good for patient safety AND good for your mental health. You can only hear a still small voice inside when the extraneous noise and distractions are eliminated.
I challenge you to take just a few moments of every day, find a place where you can be alone; breathe slowly in and release the tension within. Focus on the quiet and stillness of the space around you and listen to the voice speaking to your heart. Consistently take time to slow down the computer in your head. If you take some time, you will find an awesome sense of peace when facing the many personal and professional demands placed upon you.
Also Read:
Matthew 6:6
Isaiah 41: 10, 13-14
Romans 8:6