As nurses and midwives, we understand the importance of health and wellbeing to those we care for. But sometimes, we put our own health and wellbeing last. No matter what stressors we face in life, we need to nurture our own emotional, physical and spiritual health. What techniques can we build into our day so that we don’t just cope, but thrive?
In this podcast, Mark Aitken talks to Carolyn McDonald, a Registered Nurse and Senior Clinician with NMHPV, and an Iyengar yoga teacher who is passionate about supporting nurses, midwives and students.
Carolyn reminds us that our self-care is important, as nurses and midwives often put the needs of others before our own. We need to remember to nurture the nurturer, put our own oxygen mask on first, celebrate being resilient nurses and midwives and ensure all the care you give to others you give back to YOU.
We discuss the importance of students, graduates, early career nurses and midwives making their health, wellbeing and self-care a priority, and provide advice and tips for how to do this. This will enable you to establish your self-care as a routine so it becomes part of your nursing/midwifery toolkit. Knowing your red flags, intervening early and getting support sooner rather than later is key to restoring health and wellbeing.
We even have a treat for you at the end of the podcast. As Carolyn reminds us that one of the benefits of yoga is to still the fluctuations of the mind, Carolyn leads us into a mindfulness activity that is designed to refresh and restore you.