Some days, you wake up already tired and overwhelmed by everything you have to do. Learn how the simple Notice, Name, Reframe approach can help you stop the mental spiral, shift your thinking, and get through a tough day without making it harder on yourself.

We spend a lot of time worrying about stressful situations before they even happen. But what if, instead of mentally rehearsing overwhelm, we prepared for the stress itself? In this week's blog, I share a simple way to get the stress out of your head, decide what actually matters, schedule rest and support, and practice responding differently. You can't control everything that happens—but you can prepare for how you want to meet it.

As nurses, we are really good at holding it together. We hold it together when the patient is scared, when the family is angry, when the shift is short-staffed. We hold it together when someone needs us to be calm, even though inside we are anything but. We get very good at putting our feelings somewhere else so we can keep doing what needs to be done. And sometimes that is exactly what we need to do in the moment. But here’s the problem: Just because you can hold it together

Sometimes stopping is exactly what allows us to keep going. During a challenging hike in Yosemite, I learned that taking a break, catching my breath, and accepting help weren’t signs of failure—they were strategies that helped me reach a goal that felt almost impossible. We often bring that same pressure to work and life. What if we stopped pushing through everything alone and gave ourselves permission to pause, breathe, accept help, and keep going?

Nursing trains us to notice what’s wrong: the abnormal vital sign, the unanswered call light, the medication that needs to be given, the problem that needs fixing. But what if we trained our brains to notice what’s going right, too? This simple gratitude practice challenges nurses to find 10 small moments of good each day—with no repeats. It won’t erase the hard days. But it might change what you notice in the middle of them.

Have you ever found yourself caught in a mental spiral—replaying conversations, imagining worst-case scenarios, or feeling overwhelmed by thoughts that keep building on each other? Mental spiraling is something we all experience, especially those of us in healthcare who are trained to anticipate problems. The good news? We can learn to interrupt the momentum by recognizing the spiral, creating an intentional pivot, and building the resilience that helps us find our way back t

After 26 years in pain management, I've learned that there is rarely one treatment that changes everything. Meaningful improvement comes from layering small strategies over time. I believe the same is true for healthcare professionals. Building resilience and reducing burnout isn't about finding one magic solution—it's about choosing the right ingredients, one at a time. Small changes, practiced consistently, can make a remarkable difference.

Do you ever sit down to relax only to find your mind racing? You're not alone. In this article, I share a simple mindfulness practice inspired by Joseph Goldstein that shifted my perspective. Instead of trying to quiet my thoughts, I learned to intentionally focus on the good I've done. It offers a practical way to encourage your heart, build resilience, and find calm—especially for those of us working in healthcare.

Have you ever described your week as "brutal"? I certainly have. But what if that's only part of the story? Even in the hardest weeks, there are moments of meaning, connection, and purpose. In this article, I share one simple resilience practice that has helped me notice both. Because resilience isn't about eliminating the hard parts of healthcare—it's about learning to hold both.

Ever found yourself back in a situation you promised yourself you'd never be in again? Whether it's overcommitting, neglecting self-care, losing your patience, or falling into old habits, the hardest part is often the story we tell ourselves afterward. This post explores why setbacks happen, how self-judgment keeps us stuck, and one simple question—What else is true?—that can help you respond with greater compassion and resilience.

Life and healthcare work can feel heavy, and sometimes we assume that means something is wrong with us. This piece explores what it means to take ourselves a little less seriously, make room for the hard days, and recognize that struggle is a normal part of being human. It’s a reminder that feeling overwhelmed doesn’t mean you’re failing—it means you’re carrying a lot. In the middle of it all, we can still come back to meaning, purpose, and the reason we chose this work.

Most healthcare professionals know fatigue that sleep doesn’t fix. You wake up tired, you push through the day, and rest doesn’t fully restore you. This is often more than physical exhaustion — it can be compassion fatigue or secondary trauma. Understanding this matters because when we can name it, we can also start to shift it. The goal isn’t to care less, but to reconnect with meaning and rebuild compassion satisfaction.

This was one of those weeks. The kind where stress outside of work adds to the emotional weight we already carry as healthcare professionals. I found myself needing to return to a strategy I have written about before: a Rampage of Gratitude. It sounds simple—and it is—but gratitude is more than a feel-good exercise. It is a tool that can help us shift perspective, calm our nervous systems, and navigate difficult seasons without losing ourselves.

Healthcare transitions don’t just change systems—they change people, communication, and team dynamics. In the middle of uncertainty, emotions like anxiety, frustration, and fatigue can show up in how we work together and care for patients. We can’t control every change, but we can choose how we show up inside it. Small shifts in self-talk, awareness, and compassion can shape culture, support teams, and improve care during times of constant change.

Do certain coworkers constantly frustrate you? Whether they're too slow, too fast, always complaining, or impossible to find, focusing on their flaws can drain your energy and distract from meaningful work. This article explores a simple mindset shift: what you focus on grows. Learn how looking for the good in your coworkers can improve teamwork, reduce stress, increase compassion, and create a more positive experience at work. #Leadership #Teamwork #Mindset #Healthcare #Coac

Burnout doesn’t begin with exhaustion — it begins with how our nervous system perceives stress. In this post, we explore the stress cycle in healthcare, why nurses get stuck in fight, flight, or freeze, and how reframing stressful situations can reduce emotional overwhelm. By shifting perspective without denying reality, we can interrupt the stress cycle earlier, regain a sense of purpose, and build resilience in demanding clinical environments.

Nursing burnout often feels like working harder while accomplishing less. This article explains the stress cycle—alert, activate, recover—and how getting stuck in the middle fuels exhaustion and overwhelm. Learn simple ways to complete the stress cycle through movement, breathing, stretching, and other practical techniques that help calm your nervous system, restore energy, and support resilience so you can continue doing the work you love.

After 30 years as a nurse and 20 years as a nurse practitioner, I’ve learned that nursing is both exhausting and deeply meaningful. This Nurses’ Week, I’m reflecting on burnout, resilience, patient care, and the purpose that keeps so many nurses going. Reflections on the realities of nursing, healthcare work, compassion, and finding meaning in a lifelong career of helping others.

Feeling burned out in healthcare? You’re not alone. And if optimism feels out of reach right now—that makes sense. But it’s not gone. It’s something you can train. A simple daily gratitude practice—just 3 minutes—can start to shift how you think, feel, and experience your work. When you consistently notice what’s going well, you start to see your days differently—and your future, too. Small habit. Real impact.

Persistent fatigue doesn’t always point to a medical issue. Many nurses and high-performers feel exhausted despite normal lab results, assuming something is wrong. In reality, chronic fatigue is often the result of cumulative energy output without adequate recovery. Rest isn’t optional—it’s essential. Understanding energy balance can help you stop chasing diagnoses and start restoring what your body actually needs.