NURS 478 Self Care Journal

Your Name: Isabel Mosier Your Buddy: Alyssa Brooks

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
X 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 This week I spent time outside on my bicycle. Over four days, about 30 minutes a day I would go
outside for a bike ride, usually in the morning before the day got too hot.

Comments on Activity:
By being outside, specifically on a bicycle where I feel like I have immense soulful freedom, I can feel
the stress relief almost immediately. At the risk of sounding completely cliché, the feeling of the wind
on my face and the ease of coasting downhill is incredibly soothing. The fresh air and connection with
something that is entirely my own is highly rewarding.
Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
2 This week I spent time outside both on my bicycle and walking. Over three days I spent a totally of two
and a half hours outside.

Comments on Activity:
The walk I did was on the Rillito Loop. I walked about three miles in 45 minutes with my mother when
she was in town, visiting. Being outside as well as being with my mom was very therapeutic and
relaxing for me. I also spent about 30 minutes on my bike a day for hour days. My bike riding is a
highly relaxing and enjoyable activity for me that allows for me to get fresh air and feel more connected
to my environment.

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

Alyssa and I chatted about what we did this week for our self-care. I told her about how my mom was in
town for a visit which was therapeutic in of itself. But I also told her about our outdoor activity of going
for a walk and how much I enjoyed the fresh air. Alyssa told me about how she baked cinnamon
buttermilk bread and chocolate chip cookies which sounded delicious. She told me how baking allows
her to unplug and focus on something non-stressful and creative.

M O’C Fall 2018

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
3 I set up my tree-sling hammock in a wooded area near campus for 3 and a half hours.

Comments on Activity:
This week I took time for myself after back to back weeks with exams. I took my hammock out to an
area surrounded by trees and slung it up between two sturdy trees. At first I laid out in it, just looking up
into the branches as I took in the quiet of the area. Unfortunately people started to show up in my area,
so I put in my headphones and listened to some relaxing music like Nora Jones and still visually took in
my surroundings. It was very relaxing and felt restorative to my academic, isolation, and preceptorship
based stressors. Although I enjoy my bike rides and being outside in that way, I think I will utilize my
hammock time more often.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)
This week Alyssa baked lemon blueberry cupcakes. She offered to share some with me after I
commented how good they sounded, but unfortunately I’m gluten-free. What a bummer to miss out on
that goodness! We had studied together a lot for the first two exams in our classes so after we finished
the second one, we also checked in on each other and how we were feeling about it. This positive
reinforcement after an exam helps me decompress and release a lot of the built up stress.

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

4 I went for a hike on Mount Lemmon and spent about 2 and a half hours outside.

Comments on Activity:
This week I went for a hike with a friend in my nursing cohort. We both had a day off from our
preceptorship and felt an extra need to get outside in the fresh air. We drove up Mount Lemmon and
found a hiking path. The hike was an easy 5 mile in and out route that provided a lot of uninterrupted
nature time as well as gave us a good workout.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)
Alyssa and I chatted about our activities and what they mean to us. This week she chose to bake
cinnamon rolls (yum!) She mentioned how much she loves her weekly baking and wishes she could
actually do it every day. Clearly this shows how rewarding it is for her, which I think is great and I’m
happy to hear how relaxing it is for her. I told her about my hike with our fellow classmate and what we
saw while out and about on Mount Lemmon. I feel that Alyssa and my conversations also have a certain
level of therapeutic effect because we get to verbally decompress about our week.

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

5 I went for a walk along the Rillito River Loop. I walked for about an hour and then sat and enjoyed the
scenery for another hour.

Comments on Activity:
This walk felt good because it was one of the cooler days this week so it was more enjoyable than other
outdoor activities I have done for my self-care. Being away from the busy streets and populated areas of
Tucson allowed me to feel more peaceful and calm.

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

M O’C Fall 2018
 Alyssa told me about a “mud pie” she made for her aunt’s birthday. She also shared a picture of the pie
and it looked very good. It seemed to me that Alyssa also enjoyed sharing her baking with her loved
ones and being able to give to others something that she truly enjoys. I shared the therapeutic effect of
my walk and how it felt to be outside away from the busy city.

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

6 Inspired by week 4’s activity, I went for another hike. This week I went to Tumamoc Hill. The hike
itself took an hour and 15 minutes round trip but I stopped at the top for an hour to just sit and embrace
the clean air, beautiful view, and overall nature setting.

Comments on Activity:
The hike was not only peaceful and therapeutic because I was surrounded by nature, but it was also
good exercise. Sitting at the top with the open air and chilled breeze was potentially the best part of all
of it. It was incredibly serene and I will definitely do it again!

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

This week Alyssa made Halloween sugar cookies which she said was very nice to decompress with the
473 exam on Wednesday. She and I also studied for the exam together and debriefed afterwards which I
think helped us both manage our stress. I really value my time with Alyssa both as study buddies and
self-care journal buddies. I find it very easy to talk to her and I don’t feel any shame in voicing my
grievances to her.

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

7 I went for a long walk outside for about an hour and 20 minutes. I then spent some time in my tree
hammock for about an hour.

Comments on Activity:
The walk was very therapeutic because the clean air and scenery really calmed me. It started to feel
more like fall which is a very happy tome for me because I love the holidays and all the family time that
comes with that season.
The hammock time was also very relaxing because I’m able to unplug and just sway underneath the
trees.
Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)
Alyssa made blueberry muffins this week and they looked amazing! She has made a habit of taunting
me with pictures of her gorgeous baking activity each week and I swear, they look even more delicious
each time! I always look forward to my weekly talks with Alyssa about our self-care, but we also talk
almost daily about other school things and general life events. I’m incredibly grateful for her friendship
and the support she gives me throughout school and life.

M O’C Fall 2018

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):
8 I spent time in my hammock outside among some trees close to campus. It was cold out which I enjoyed
because I am very ready to be done with the heat. I spent about 2 and a half hours just swaying in the
breeze and watching the trees rock above me.

Comments on Activity:
This felt very healing as this past week at my preceptorship was very busy and I felt like I hadn’t taken a
restorative breath in 5 days. So, being able to take the time and just be alone in the fresh air around the
trees felt really good.
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?

The time in nature taught me the importance of how restorative the fresh air and peacefulness can
be. I felt like I could refresh my mind every time I spent a decent amount of time outside. I also
learned how important it is to prioritize these things. There were some weeks that I would forget to
spend my time outside until the end of the week, but when I remembered to do it early I felt the
benefits a lot more.

Have you noticed any changes in your life since you began this intervention?
I think I value time outdoors more. The benefits have made this time more important to me and
therefore it has shifted how I wish to spend my free time. If I’m able to increase my time outside, I
more actively pursue it.

Will you do anything differently now? Please explain.

Like I said, I think I will continue to prioritize my time outside in nature. I am moving home to
Washington soon and there are countless trails for walking and hiking. I think I will incorporate
these into my life much more than I have in the past.

Comments/suggestions: Maybe give more options for activities or have a class brainstorming session to
find what will best fit everyone individually. I picked my activity because it sounded best, but when I
talked to other people who had been clever enough to think up their own, I was jealous of their options.
I don’t regret my decision but wish I had known that I had more options.

M O’C Fall 2018

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

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