Episode 4 – Full Transcript
For today’s episode, we wanted to talk about consumption
Michelle: Hey, everyone. My name is Michelle.
Lindsay: And I’m Lindsey. And you’re listening to nurse verse.
Michelle: So, for today’s episode, we wanted to talk about consumption. And we very specifically chose this word because we want to talk about more than just diet. Diet is huge, of course, in health and wellness, but we consume a lot of things. We consume stress and fluids and entertainment, etcetera. And so we wanted to talk about it on a broader scale here and how the consumption of all of those things has impacted our own health in one way or another, and different changes that we’ve made that have had a massive impact on us and also things that we’ve discussed with our own patients and our own clients. and so we’ve narrowed it down to five different topics for today that we want to discuss.
Lindsay: Nutrition, hydration, entertainment, stress, and work.
We discuss nutrition in this podcast. So we will start off with nutrition
Michelle: Okay, cool. So we will start off with nutrition, obviously very complicated topic, and we are definitely not trying to reinvent the wheel on this or go too far into detail. We’re actually trying to do the exact opposite. We’re trying to go a much more simplified route to make it more attainable for people to achieve their nutritional goals. and even for us as nurses who, have become more well versed in nutrition, it is a very complicated world out there. You always feel like you’re doing something wrong. One person says, red meat’s good for you. Another person says, it’s terrible for you. How are you supposed to believe anyone? What are you supposed to believe? Who are you supposed to believe? and so even for us to maintain a healthy, eating habits, which was very difficult on night shift, as we discussed in our last episode, and just both of us in general, as human beings, have a sweet tooth. We love carbohydrates. I’m italian. It’s a big part of my diet in general. And so, recovering from night shift and coming back to normal, we were trying to figure out ways that are going to be sustainable and feasible for us. What is. What is going to work for us, what is going to, be practical for us as nurses, but also as adults. And so our simplified view that we take is just covering our basics. Our basics for nutrition is sticking, to whole foods, trying to be as organic and chemical free as possible, and trying to be consistent. So, whole foods being just like whole 30 says, just stick to the outside of the grocery store. If it didn’t come from nature, try to avoid it. Try to avoid processed foods as much as you can. and of course, organic and chemical free, if you can. You know, financings allow finances allowing for it, and also a big thing, consistency. Don’t write something off just because you didn’t give it an honest effort. Like, I think there were plenty of times we tried diets and they just were not so. Not sustainable for us, and they just weren’t practical at that moment in time for us to truly stick to it and to give it a genuine, effort. So it’s not that there was anything wrong with that diet, so to speak, or that that choice of foods for that period of time. It’s just we could not stick to it, to the lifestyle that we were currently living.
Lindsay: And diets itself, they’re so, like, they lock you in a box.
Michelle: Yeah.
Lindsay: And it’s like you want to stray from that box because you chose that you’re going to do this diet, and now everything’s restricted, and of course you want those things that are outside that box.
Michelle: Yes. Simple psychology. If somebody tells you you’re not allowed to eat it, all you want to do is eat it.
Lindsay: Yeah. So you don’t have to call it a diet. You could just. This is how I’m eating right now, and this is how I’m eating because this is what makes my body feel good. also, I think a lot of people are freaked out by recipes. They’re like, I’m going to have, like, 50 pounds of chives for this one recipe, and it’s gonna rot, so I’m not even gonna make it. Guess what? You don’t have to use it.
Michelle: Yeah.
Lindsay: Pick and choose what you want in these recipes. Go for the simplest, like, none, almost none ingredient recipes, and go from there, and then you’ll see, oh, this is actually fun. I liked what I made or something like that. That’s what we did.
Michelle: And, some of your mistakes in cooking or baking have actually turned out to be, like, the best discoveries in our foods.
Lindsay: Like, this one time, I thought we had a bunch of zucchinis left over, and I sauteed what I thought was a zucchini, but it was actually a cucumber. I was wondering what happened to the whole middle of the. The vegetable. But was it good? Did we eat it? I mean, yes, we ate it. Was it good? Yeah. Would I do it again? No, no.
Michelle: But then all of those mistakes that we made have only helped us become better cooks along the way.
Lindsay: Yeah.
Michelle: And have helped us get closer to, the way we like to eat what we like to eat. And I think for us, we are very much. We’re foodies in the sense that, that we live to eat, not eat to live.
Lindsay: And so, yeah, ah, even if I have a gluten allergy, like, it’s fine. Yeah, there are ways around it. And also if you’re trying to stick to the edge of the fridge or edge of the fridge, the edge of the grocery store, like, it’s easy. There’s like no gluten found in vegetables.
Michelle: Yeah, yeah, exactly. Especially, yeah. And I think just our biggest, what has helped us be the most sustainable and maintaining a majority whole food diet. Of course, we’re not saying we do this 100% of the time.
Lindsay: No. Because tomorrow we’re having pancakes.
Michelle: Yeah, gluten free pancakes. Some breakfast. Wouldn’t know.
Lindsay: Yeah.
Michelle: But trying, to stick to it a majority of the time, and especially when you’re first adjusting, people are going to be in one area or another. Either you are going to be the cold turkey group or you’re going to need to be like a slow implementer group and neither way is wrong. I think I’m a little bit more like, I need the cold turkey. Cause it’s like if I get the taste of sugar, I just want more and more of it.
Lindsay: When I first met you, you never ever had coffee. Never had coffee. You’re like, I won’t let myself do it.
Michelle: Yeah. Cause like once I start, that’s it. yeah, I’m a goner.
Lindsay: And with our last diet, we had 30 days without coffee.
Michelle: Yeah.
Lindsay: And we actually, it was, it was really hard. It takes 30 days to really kick a habit or a craving.
Michelle: Yes, 100%. And like this for us.
Lindsay: For us, yeah, for us, that’s what we experienced 1000%.
For some people, gradual changes are easiest and less painful
Michelle: It’s like if we can avoid something or stick to something for 30 days, I swear it’s like day goes from 29 to 30 and you’re like, oh my gosh, this is so easy now. Like, I don’t want that anymore. I have no craving for it. And we’re good. And so you can just continue on with the behavior that you were doing because now it doesn’t feel like effort anymore.
Lindsay: Yeah. Or you dissect it, you’re like, why did I really want that glass of wine? Yeah, I wanted the feeling. It’s like, it’s like a hug about.
Michelle: The stress at work.
Lindsay: I just wanted that liquid hug, you know?
Michelle: Exactly, exactly, yeah. But for some people they might need to go a little bit more slow. And I think we tried that as well. We tried, gradual implementations, but when you are doing gradual implementations, the trip up is really being, honest with yourself. Like, if you say, okay, I’m only gonna have sweets, like, two days a week, just on the weekends, and then you notice, oh, well, now I’m traveling, and. Okay, well, just while I’m traveling, and then, oh, you got a work thing. Work event during the week. Okay, all right, well, just this one day, and then it’s very easy, at least for me, to get caught up in that. That, snowball effect. Yes. Yeah, that snowball effect. So if you could do the gradual implement, like changes over time and wean yourself off, then that’s definitely the easier, less painful route. But you just have to be honest with yourself, I think.
Lindsay: And it’s easier if you have a buddy, like your husband, wife, kid, any friend, anybody relative that goes in on it with you.
Michelle: Oh, 100%.
Lindsay: Because I wouldn’t be able to stick to my diet without having you been in it too. Yeah.
Michelle: Yeah. Because it’s. You can’t. It’s just not practical. Like, it’s so not practical for us to cook two different meals. You know, we have to find what is the best, ideally for the both of us. Both of us.
Lindsay: Yeah.
Michelle: And what’s in the middle somewhere.
Lindsay: Also, shout out to my dad, who used to make six different meals every day after working, like, 90 hours a week and driving highway 17.
Michelle: Yeah, what a dad.
Lindsay: Thanks, dad.
Michelle: Seriously.
Lindsay: Anyways, cooking one meal, one.
Michelle: Just cooking one meal is enough. Is exhausting enough.
Lindsay: I don’t know how he did it.
Another way to create sustainability around how you choose to eat is cooking at home
Michelle: But back to cooking real quick is another. I just want to go back to how, is another way to create sustainability around how you choose to eat, and how you choose to get your nutrition. Because, for example, like us, we love to eat. We love food. We love good food. And so we try to change our mindset to instead. Instead of us feeling like we’re depriving ourselves of the foods that we want to eat, instead, we changed the mind frame to, I’m going to improve my own cooking skills so that I can figure out a way to get those same flavors, to get the same taste in the food that I’m cooking at home that I would experience in a restaurant. And, of course, I’m not saying that we’re Michelin star chefs here, but, I mean. And Covid helped with this as well. Covid helped with this. Like, yes, do not be afraid to cook. Neither one of us were exceptional by any means. When we started, we had a lot of terrible meals.
Lindsay: Yeah. I mean, they weren’t that bad. Yeah, they were definitely diner status. But Michelle’s definitely nailed the steak.
Michelle: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Lindsay: Like, super good.
Michelle: Yeah. Just like, think of it as practice. Like, this is practice. I am practicing getting better at cooking. And then it’s the most rewarding thing ever. When you get to the point where your food is better than a restaurant, like, you would rather stay in. Yes. Then go out, then, cook your own meal. Then you. You saved money. You know what went in your food. You got to pick whether or not that was free range chicken or farm raise or whatever the word is, or blah, blah, blah. You,
Lindsay: Ah.
Michelle: And on top of that, you know that it is exactly what you wanted, versus when you go to a restaurant, you order off the menu. You know, it’s like 50 50 chance you might not like it, and then you just wasted money.
Lindsay: Or when you say, can you please hold this? You’re like, are they really gonna do it? Are they gonna add it? Just for funsies.
Michelle: Oh, and, this might be a little controversial, but, there are a lot of restaurants that put flavor, amplifiers in their food. I can’t speak to exactly what these things are, but they do not come from nature.
Lindsay: And are they gluten free? Nobody knows. Like, nobody knows.
Michelle: No. And a, good way to tell whether or not one of your favorite restaurants uses these things or. Or uses something that doesn’t sit well with your stomach is try to make that same meal at home. There have been so many times where we’ve gone out to eat, and we’ve really loved what we’ve eaten, and then we try to come home and make relatively the same thing. and when we had it at the restaurant, I would have just explosive diarrhea afterwards. Just did not stay with me. But worth it. Worth.
Lindsay: Worth the five minutes of yum.
Michelle: Worth the five minutes of yum. But I, But then I go and make that same thing at home, and I’m totally fine. Like, nothing at all.
Lindsay: The fact you would want to make it again after having that experience, it must taste a little great.
Michelle: It depends on what it is and how severe it was, but.
Hydration is also a very complicated topic. And again, we are trying to simplify it
Lindsay: Okay, that brings us to hydration.
Michelle: Yes.
Lindsay: Anybody else think that staying hydrated is a full time job?
Michelle: Yes, it is. It is.
Lindsay: Really is. Once you finish that, 64oz, you got to start over tomorrow. It doesn’t hold.
Michelle: Yeah, exactly. We’re not camels, people.
Lindsay: Yeah, it’s wild.
Michelle: So hydration is also a very complicated topic. And again, with this, we are trying to just simplify it to make it easier for people to attain their goals and to get to where they want to be. And so for us, the basics that we stick to around hydration are, one, the quality of the water, two, electrolytes and minerals that are within the water, or that you supplement with. And also three, as with everything, consistency. So, I used to have so many clients that would come in and tell me, oh my gosh, I drink water all day, every day. I’m chugging water and I go pee like every five minutes. How am I not hydrated? And so my first response to this always is, I kind of asked them what their diet looks like a little bit. And also are they supplementing with any electrolytes and minerals? And what kind of water are they drinking? So basically going over those, those three basics with them, because the electrolytes and minerals are what your body needs to actually use the water. So if you guys ever remember in science class the theory of osmosis, and you see all the little spots on one side of the water, of the barrier, and just imagine those, like, spots are the electrolytes. And then you have water with less spots or less electrolytes on this side. And through osmosis, that water absorbs through the tissue into the other, or through the membrane into the other layer. That’s, essentially what’s happening for us in our tissues is that we need the electrolytes to actually pull in the fluid. So if you don’t have substantial electrolytes in your body, you are essentially just like peeing it out, which I always don’t. Don’t get me wrong, don’t drink less water. Because of what I’m saying, I always lean towards drinking more water. But bearing in mind what your electri and mineral consumption looks like, because with the water we’re consuming today, in order for it to be clean, we have to take a lot of stuff out of it. But when we take stuff out of it, we are also stripping a lot of the electrolytes and minerals from that water. So unless we’re supplementing with those electrolytes and minerals in like a, ah, little powdered packet that we put back into the water or in our foods and our seasoning, or through iv hydration, you, it’s a very hard balance to get to. And this is also something that is very unique. And in our society, we have truly demonized, like sodium, one of the main electrolytes that we really, really need. We have demonized it. And that’s just because, if you have certain major medical conditions like hypertension, high blood pressure, or other things your electrolyte balance is very critical. So this is super important to know for you as an individual. Where are your electrolytes? Are they within normal limits? If they are, and you’re a healthy person with no major medical history, then you’re more likely, to have the flexibility with, supplementing with more electrolytes and minerals than not. But of course, if you are one of these people, if you’re not sure you are, please, please speak with your healthcare professional, get your blood tests done, see where you sit so that you can have a better gauge. And also, a lot of these electrolyte mineral supplementation is going to be a little bit of trial and error. so for example, Lindsey and I live in south Florida. In the winter times, we are freezing, even though it’s only 60 degrees, so we are not sweating as much. And in the summertime, we open the door and start profusely sweating.
Lindsay: So even the sunlight coming into our bedroom sometimes will be enough.
Michelle: Yes. Yeah. It is very hot here in South Florida in the summertime. And so we need to supplement. Like, for us as individuals, we have no choice. We have got to supplement our electrolytes in the summertime, especially sodium and magnesium and potassium. And Lindsay has a much faster metabolism than I do. So her need for electrolytes, even though, ironically enough, even though she barely sweats, I swear she will, like, just get damp on her forehead when we’re playing beetles.
Lindsay: Sweat, just a bead of sweat on my nose.
Michelle: but, ironically enough, she actually needs more supplements than I do because she will start cramping very, very easily if we are not supplementing those electrolytes. and so we used to be avid users of element LMNt, in.
Lindsay: The summertime, so salty.
Michelle: But it’s great because like, like, you get your sodium and a good amount of magnesium and a good amount of potassium. Like, we, we felt so much better supplementing with LMNT. and then also I worked in wellness and had access to iv’s, so we would get iv’s a lot. and more recently, what we have been doing is the, celtic sea salt in our water in the morning. And honestly, I think that starts us off. I’ve been feeling super great and I don’t feel the need for as much supplementation this summer so far. Don’t you agree?
Lindsay: Yeah, we, we’ve been doing lemon water with the celtic celtic salt, however you want to pronounce it in the morning. And it’s, it’s been good.
Michelle: Yeah. Yeah, definitely. and one more caveat around this is know your own symptoms for when dehydration starts to set in. For me, I know, like, if I was ever working for long periods of time and I just was not remembering to drink water, it was usually the headache, the dull headache in the background that would start to build up. And that’s when I knew. Boom. Like, I am so dehydrated, I’m way past the point. and for Lindsay, I think it’s the fatigue.
Lindsay: But, yeah, I think of myself as, like a. Like a house plant. Like, wilting, and then I need water, and then I’m more, like, upbeat and alive.
Michelle: Yeah, 100%. Yeah, I agree. And the consistency also is super important for us. just chugging a glass of water in the morning and at night is not gonna do it. Or chugging, even if it was, like, a gallon, like, just chugging it all at once is not going to do it. Especially if you’re somebody that has higher metabolism, like Lindsey, for example, your. If your metabolism, think of it as a furnace. Like, whatever you’re feeding it, it’s just, like, burning through it. It’s burning through it all day, every day. And so if you are not continuously feeding it that or fueling it or hydrating it, m it is. You’re gonna start that. That snowball effect of rolling into severe dehydration, basically. and your kidneys are always working. Your kidneys are always filtering. So by the time you drink that glass of water, depending on your level of metabolism or how fast your metabolism is, you’re going to burn through that glass of water real quick. and depending on your body temperature, if you’re a female, depending on the time of the month, and depending on the time of the month, depending on your water retention. But, alas, I’m going too far into detail. I’m trying to not complicate things here.
We’re trying to make it simple. Just keep sipping. Okay. We’ll keep it simple
We’re trying to make it simple.
Lindsay: Just keep sipping. Just keep sipping.
Michelle: I think this is the second time you’ve brought that into the podcast.
Lindsay: Have I?
Michelle: I think so.
Lindsay: Okay.
Michelle: It’s a good one, though. We’ll keep it.
TV and social media play a huge role in our daily lives
Lindsay: That brings us to our third topic. Entertainment tv. Social media.
Michelle: Yes.
Lindsay: So, tv and social media play a huge role in our daily lives. Like, there’s. Everybody has an instagram, everybody has a YouTube channel, or, you know, a podcast or a podcast. Now, what’s up, guys? and there’s just so much access to information, not only, like, in celebrities lives, but people’s lives in other countries. It’s all consuming, like, we could know everything about anybody, really, if we wanted to. If we looked hard enough, if we did enough research on Instagram, we could probably find whoever we want. But that being said, it’s all consuming and it’s chaotic. So limiting what you see, watch, view, hear, whatever is huge in that.
Michelle: Or being mindful.
Lindsay: Being mindful. Yeah. And I was just gonna say I didn’t know that I was, like, super affected by what I was seeing. Like, on, like, what I liked to watch or what I like to read, like psych thrillers whatsoever. and I would have these gnarly nightmares or irrational fears out of no reason. Out of thin air for no reason. And then I would come tell you and you’re like, it’s because of that effed up book you’re reading.
Michelle: Your subconscious is always listening.
Lindsay: Yeah.
Michelle: So even when you’re sleeping. And.
Lindsay: Yeah, it brings up crazy things in your dreams and your nightmares.
Michelle: Yeah. Like, yeah, it’s like when you go to sleep, your subconscious is like, hold the phone, let’s scroll back to that. Really you watched earlier. Like, it always hones in on, that. It’s always gonna hone in on the negative. But I feel like this was also emphasized when we were working in a hospital and we were being exposed to a lot of scenarios that the average person might not necessarily come in contact with. And, just a lot of grave scenarios and unfortunate situations that. And very stressful that when you come home at the end of the day, especially for me, I. The last thing I wanted was anything slightly stressful, scary, sad, and I just wanted funny, light hearted, happy, and,
Lindsay: Modern family.
Michelle: Modern family.
Lindsay: Shout out to modern family.
Michelle: Will and grace. Yes.
Lindsay: Yeah, those are her two shows.
Michelle: But it just goes to show that what you are exposing yourself has, ah, exposing yourself to has an impact on you, whether or not we like to admit it. And, And if you want to choose how you want to feel, we can do that very easily by choosing what we expose ourselves to. And obviously, we’re not trying to make the world all sunshine and rainbows here, but it’s like if you want to, you wanna feel happy and laughed and, you know, watch funny things and try to avoid. Avoid, dark and scary. Yeah. Messed up.
Lindsay: like, you have entertainment control over what you see on these outlets, so why not filter the things out? Why not filter so and so out if all they’re doing is posting or complaining about things that you don’t agree with.
Michelle: Yeah. And even just news, the news, especially during COVID was very toxic and I think once you get sucked into it, you don’t realize how much it’s impacting you and how much it’s impacting your self talk and your mindset and your emotions until you pull yourself out of it. Until I literally just turned off all news. I, like, deleted so many things off of my phone, I just didn’t want to know. And then everybody’s like, well, how will you know, not know what’s going on in the world? You need to know what’s going on in the world because, like, what am I going to do about it? Like, literally, what am I going to. What is within my control. What is within my control is controlling what I consume and how I then feel. Feel about myself and feel about the world around me. I can’t make the world a better place if I’m pissed off and negative and angry.
Lindsay: You’re scared, like, that’s not gonna do anything.
Michelle: Exactly. I make the biggest impact when I bring my best self to the table, which I feel that my best self is like the happy, funny, bright, loving person that, that makes a positive impact on my patients. That when my patients tell me, oh, my gosh, like, why are you always in such a good mood? Like, that makes me happy because then I feel like I just brought a little bit of joy into their day. Just me bringing in the smile, like that made a difference. One slight difference. And oatly has something to say about that, too. so, yeah, just staying super mindful. I now, of course, with us with the podcast and now having to, like, be back into social media. And I think the goal is just, it’s not to just eliminate these things, but just to be mindful of how you respond to these things. Like, what emotions are coming up. Like, how do you feel? What is your, the voice in your head sound like after you watch a certain something? Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. Exactly. and anything else you wanted to mention about social media?
Lindsay: not really.
Michelle: That was it, I think.
Lindsay: Yeah, I think so.
Not all stress is bad, right? Sometimes it’s good
Michelle: All right, so, I mean, it brings.
Lindsay: Us to our next topic, number four, which is stress. So not all stress is bad.
Michelle: Yes. We do not want to demonize stress here.
Lindsay: No, I mean, sometimes it’s good.
Michelle: Yes. If it is Eustress. So there is Eustress and distress. And Eustress is the type of stress put on you when there is a demand set, but you have the skill or the ability to meet that demand, whereas distress is the opposite of that, is when you’re demand is put on you and you do not have the skill or the ability to meet that demand.
Lindsay: Like, my first year in nursing, the time when I called you crying hysterically from the bedroom, it was the worst day of my life. On that shift, actually, I had multiple worst days of my life. But, in my first year of nursing. But anyways, that particular shift, I had, like, five patients. And this one couplet that I had, I worked in postpartum. Like, I had a baby under Billy lites who needed a PKU. I had a mom who needed stat antibiotics and a stat blood transfusion, and her iv had just failed. And I had asked my charge nurse for help, and she said she was too busy, so she couldn’t help me. I panicked.
Michelle: Welcome to nursing.
Lindsay: I panic. And then another patient needed a PKU, and I’m like, what’s a PKU? And somebody just asked me, are you okay? Because they looked at my face, and I was just so stressed out. And I just started crying, and I ran to the bedroom, and that’s when everybody flocked in to help me.
Michelle: Yeah, sometimes. Sometimes you just gotta make a scene so you can get a little help.
Lindsay: And, if I could plan that and, like, act, and I would do it all the time, but no, it was just my everyday life.
Michelle: Yes. So that was more on the distress. A demand was being put on you that you could not.
Lindsay: I could not meet it because you just started. And I didn’t know what to do first. I mean, did the antibiotics come first? Then the blood transfusion or the baby? Like, what it was. It was such a mess. Yeah, such a mess.
Michelle: Yeah. So, obviously, s nurses, it’s a little different, and the stress is a bit different.
Nursing stress is different when somebody’s life is on the line
So I want to talk about stress in the nursing world, but also then stress outside of the nursing world, because I know it’s not going to apply to everybody, but, in the nursing world, it’s a different type of stress when somebody’s life is on the line, such a deep stress. It’s a very visceral stress, which is also a good thing in a sense, because then when somebody’s life isn’t on the line, then you’re like, oh, okay, cool. Everything’s all good. It just makes everything relative. When you go from working in a hospital and you have lives in your hands, and then you go from working not in a hospital, you’re like, oh, okay, well, did you die? No. All right, then we’re good. Like, it’s just not a big deal anymore.
Lindsay: Like, you’re just a little pissed off. I could deal with that.
Michelle: Yeah. Yeah, it’s like, well, there are bigger problems in this world, and, having that relativity is great. I think, like, that is one huge, huge silver lining of being in healthcare is that it really does, like, change how you look at the world. And you really are just so grateful for your health, your loved ones health, your friends health, that you realize is just like the most important thing. And so it helps make everything else much less stressful. And, but, but, sorry, oatly is very distracting right now. Okay. And so, but, but as nurses, I think it’s super important to figure out how to manage that stress. And so for us, I think a lot of times when you’re in a situation where somebody’s life is on the line and it’s extremely stressful just knowing that, like, you did the best of your ability, you did the best that you could with what you had in that moment right there, and being able to let go of the rest. Because when we hold on to things that are not in our control, it’s only going to drive you crazy. It’s not helping anything. Just focusing on the things that are within your control is going to help you manage that stress. And of course, understanding and knowing how you need to personally deal with your emotions around certain stressful situations, how you need to deal with that energy, around certain situations, which we will talk about more in another podcast.
Having positive versus negative situations is key to being a good nurse
but, one other thing about working as a nurse, or I should say two other things, is, having positive versus negative situations. For me personally, I went from working in a nICU that was just majority negative stories or very sad, and not the greatest outcomes. And that was a good portion of the time. And the positive stories were few and far between. Me, as a person, that began to weigh on me a lot over time. And, and, you know, for some people, just like that one positive story is enough, that one positive story is enough to keep them coming back and keep them doing their job. And as long as you feel that fulfillment and you feel that you are doing the best that you can do, and, it’s enough for you and you can manage all of the negative outcomes, then great. But for me personally, I needed to find a different hospital, a different unit that had more positive stories. I just needed a little bit more of a balance.
Lindsay: Like, nurse stress is kind of good because you act fast. Yeah, you have to act fast, but in the same token, you’re able to take a pause and then act. But it all happens so fast.
Michelle: Yeah. Yeah, it does teach you how to respond and I. And react, quickly and calmly for sure.
Lindsay: Because you’ve got patients looking to you for what’s next. Because they’re freaked out themselves more so than you. And they’re looking at you with deer and headlight eyes, like, what’s next? What’s gonna happen? Am I okay? Is baby okay?
Michelle: Yeah.
Lindsay: They’re looking for you for the next step.
Michelle: Yeah.
Lindsay: So, yeah.
Michelle: And I think, this translates to any other type of work, whether you’re healthcare related or not. It’s just different scenarios is all. And how you perceive those scenarios. So you can have two different people, let’s say, both working at a bank and one person, they both have the same job and they’re equally responsible for, let’s say an accidental transaction happened or something, and they lost a ton of money. And one person is so stressed out and they’re devastated and they’re crying, and the other person is like, well, this is really unfortunate, and I’m, really sorry that this happened, but nobody died. So it’s like, at the end of the day, it’ll be okay. We’ll figure it out. And so you can have the same scenario, but just keeping your mind, your perspective on that scenario is going to play a huge role and how you’re going to feel that stress, how that stress is going to impact you.
How do you decompress when stress is constant or intermittent
and that leads into our chronic versus intermittent stress topic is, just being mindful of the stress that you are going through. It’s okay. But is this a constant for you or do you get some reprieve? So, for example, when you clock out at the end of your shift or your stressful event is over with, are you able to successfully decompress and get back to equilibrium and feel that sense of relaxation?
Lindsay: Or are you playing this scenario like, over and over in your head and you’re feeling it in your body every single time? Like it’s happening again and again?
Michelle: And if so, then how do you let go of that? And how do you decompress? And where is the balance for you? and for us, it’s. I mean, at least for me personally, just having a beach day usually just is my beautiful, beautiful decompression where I get sunshine, sand and salt water. And I just immediately brings me to that place of equilibrium that I’m super m grateful for.
Lindsay: Yeah, yeah. Beach day two for me. we used to live in DC and we would get off of night shift doing three in a row and get in the car at, like what, 730?
Michelle: Yeah.
Lindsay: And drive to the nearest beach hours away.
Michelle: Yeah.
Lindsay: And we’re at, like, Delaware. Rehoboth. We went once.
Michelle: Oh, yeah.
Lindsay: Yeah. We would get there, set up, fall asleep.
Michelle: Yeah. So we were out cold.
Lindsay: We.
Michelle: But just to be on the beach.
Lindsay: Just to be on the beach, just to get.
Michelle: And I think a lot of it, too, is being in nature. Being in nature is a such an impactful way for, I think, anybody to decompress. But,
Lindsay: Yeah, that’s what worked for us.
Michelle: Yeah.
Lindsay: But now. Now we live near the beach, like, ten minutes away from work, ten minutes away from home. Like, it’s a great place. It’s our heaven.
Michelle: Yeah. Yeah. It’s our regular occurrence. And so, yeah, if you’re a beach person, you’re a warm weather person, and you can incorporate that in your decompression. Ten out of ten recommend it. If you are a cold weather person or you’re a mountain or forest or a woods person, like, go for a hike, go for a walk, go out, in nature, and leave your phone behind. Leave the headphones, please, leave the wireless headphones behind. Just be in nature, and I promise you, you will not regret it. We take for granted these little things that help us so much. It’s always the simplest solution in life. Most of the time.
Lindsay: Yeah.
The goal is to do what you love. That is a loaded goal
so our last topic is work. So you want to. The goal is to. To do what you love.
Michelle: And obviously, that is a loaded.
Lindsay: That is a loaded goal.
Michelle: It’s a loaded goal.
Lindsay: So if you. You do what you like, find what you love about what you do.
Michelle: Yeah. Yeah, exactly.
Lindsay: There you go.
Michelle: Yeah. It’s like two different perspectives. Either you change your mindset about your current job, and you focus on the positives of why you picked that job, why you’re working in that job, and stay focused on that and control what you can control and let go of what you can’t control. Just. Just let it go. and if those cons have just completely outweighed the pros and you can’t really change your mindset, there’s some moral ethical dilemmas at play, or something else has happened, then change your job. I know. I know. It’s easy for us to say because we don’t have children. We just have three fur babies. And what are we? We’re dinks. Dual income, no kids.
Lindsay: I was like, where are you going with this?
Michelle: So it’s easy for us to say, and I can’t speak from a parent’s perspective, so I totally get that. But I like to just bring about the fact that where you work is where you spend the majority of your time for most people, and life is too short to waste like that. You will always figure it out. Like, we. We will always just figure it out. You’re gonna have ups and downs and. And, even just being in a job with a set paycheck is not a guarantee. You could get fired at any point in time. The company could shut down. Like, there was one place you were working for and you loved it, and it was great. And then they were, like, 5 seconds later, they were like, oh, just kidding. We’re closing this location.
Lindsay: Yeah, like, that one shift your schedule for. That’s your last day.
Michelle: Yeah.
Lindsay: Like what?
Michelle: Nothing is a guarantee. Nothing is a guarantee. And. And, like, I always like to say, it’s like you can walk outside and get hit by a car, and. And that’s it. Like, just taking into that perspective that, like, you have one life, make good use of it, and don’t be afraid to make the changes that you need to make that are good for you, because I feel like society is so gung ho on. You have to do this, and then you have to do that, and then you have to do that. And if you don’t have. And if you don’t do any of these things and there’s something wrong with you, like, no, everybody’s life is gonna look very different.
Lindsay: Or in order to leave one job, you have to have another lined up. You have to do this. You have to do that. Like, everybody’s timeline is different, and there’s.
Michelle: So many different looks.
Lindsay: Different.
Michelle: Yeah. Like, who made up these rules? Seriously, like, throw them out the window. Do what is best for you. Do what speaks to you, because when you do what you love, everything falls into place, and you have to just trust that. That, like, when you are happy and when you are thriving, you will be amazed at the magic that starts to happen in your life. And if you don’t know what you love and you don’t know what you.
Lindsay: Want to do, figure it out.
Michelle: Go explore it. Go exploring. Get a journal. Write down all the things that make you happy. Write down all the things that you love. also, every job that you have had. Let’s say you’ve had a series of jobs and you didn’t like any of them, but you go back, think about those jobs. Was there any aspect of that job that you did like and what aspects of the job did you not like? And I love a good pros and cons. Listen, just put the pros on one side and the cons on the other. Side. Now, in that list, does that career exist in some form or another? And if it doesn’t make it, create it some, way. Create that job or career.
Lindsay: Yeah. Boom. Do it.
Michelle: Do it.
Um, and on that note, consumption. It’s not just what you eat
and on that note, consumption.
Lindsay: consumption. It’s not just what you eat.
Michelle: It’s not just what you eat.
Lindsay: I mean, it’s what you take in.
Michelle: It’s everything that you take in. And we are taking in a lot of. All the time.
Lindsay: A lot of.
Michelle: Yeah, all the time. And, we hope you guys took something away from this that will help you in your endeavor.
Lindsay: We hope you consume something.
Michelle: And we hope to see you for the next one.
Lindsay: Thanks, guys.
Michelle: Okay, thanks. Bye.