Many of us in nursing talk freely about stress and burnout, and nurse educators are no exception. No matter what our normal outlook might be, we occasionally feel overburdened, and our conversations dwell on what most of us call "the new normal." We are living in times of compressed change; nothing seems to be as it was.
Unless we have some extraordinary insight into the future, we are not likely to know when the current normal-for-now will merge into another, newer normal-for-now. What we do know for certain is that the core of our work remains the same. We have students to educate, reports to file, decisions to make, experiences to find, and personal lives to integrate with our professional lives. Because of all of these pressures, we have been taught to relax, journal, exercise, or use one or more other strategies to remain or become healthy.
One of the "in" things to do is to consider practicing gratitude. The basic idea is to name at least four or five people or happenings for which we are grateful every day. Despite all that is going on around us, most of us have many things for which we are grateful. Recognizing and acknowledging them may be the challenge.
Most days, when my husband and I have dinner (remember when we used to dine out?), we have a routine toast, even if the beverage is only water. We toast our closest relatives one by one, usually with something that is special about each of them. We toast each other, the grandsons, the granddogs, and special events for which we are particularly grateful. Sometimes, those toasts end simply: "To a great day!" This is our way of reminding ourselves how grateful we are for what we have and what we are able to do.
One evening, as I dined with a friend, I learned of the poem "When Lost in the Forest" by David Wagoner. I will not provide the whole poem - it is easily searchable online. The lines that resonate most for me are these: "Wherever you are is called Here, And you must treat it as a powerful stranger, Must ask permission to know it and be known." I hope this message is as powerful for you as it is for me. We are so busy rushing from one meeting to the next, talking with one learner, emailing another, and texting a third. We are driven by our calendars: This is the last day a course can be dropped, here is when grades are due, and so on. We get wrapped up in the content we believe we must share, the readings we must convey, and on and on. Our learners are equally driven by these same directives from the other side of the educator-learner equation. Also, we sometimes fail to think about the many things for which we are grateful.
Within the concept of gratitude is the charge that we tell others why they are special or how helpful their actions were. But what if we forget that we are Here and are racing on to the next deadline? Perhaps we need to think about what we do that could precipitate feelings of gratitude in other people. And what if we are not with others? Can we not look inward and tell ourselves what we might have done that affected someone in a positive manner? Perhaps one gift we can give ourselves and others is to appreciate Here, a place to stop and reflect on what gratitude is and how it was exhibited today.
The beginning of the new year, especially this year, seems like a good time to consider gratitude. It is November, and we are nearing the end of 2020 with a lot of challenges - many of which we have already overcome. As nurse educators, most of us were not on the frontlines of the pandemic, but we made dramatic and valuable changes for nurses of the future. For example, those of us who may not have taught online before quickly evolved into virtual educators. If previously we were lackadaisical about the recruitment of students, we now have hundreds of stories about what being a nurse really means. If we felt bored doing the same things every day, we now meet remotely with others, have remote coffee hours, and connect to learners, even those from across the state or nation with whom we may never have had a personal conversation before. We may even have a new appreciation for those who interrupt our work, as we now see interruptions as human interaction - something we crave after months of limited human interaction. All of these opportunities allow us to be relevant and valuable in the solution to the pandemic. Each has grown from the events of this past year, providing us with opportunities to act and to be grateful that we can act.
As educators, we are role models. As we look to the new year, let us start with a commitment to reflect on gratitude. Take a deep breath, exhale slowly, and tell someone - or an entire group - about being present in this moment and about enjoying a break from the work of intensely processing ideas and actions. Let us help ourselves and others rejuvenate and remain healthy. Let us appreciate Here on our journey to there, wherever that may be.