So guys we have been going on a journey of resilience, we talked first about spiritual disciplines in respect to building spiritual muscles. The next I want to focus on is your physical body. As we are going out of Nurses week I smile at all the memes, the videos honoring nurses for everything we do when honestly there is nothing you could say that can take the wear of my body or the body of other nurses. So this week I want to talk to you about physical resilience. We have been in 2 Kings 19 as Elijah went into the desert and fell under the broom tree telling God he was done. I want to be real with you guys and let you know that at one time or another we have all been 'done.' I work on an Oncology floor at my hospital and in one shift I can six patients, a death, a fall, an admission, a crazy patient, a crazy family, security called, a code blue and a rapid response. I don't get to pick what my day looks like, I am on my feet for 12 hours and sometimes I am spooning in food while charting at the desk in between getting up for call lights and bed alarms. Nursing burnout is a very real thing, we take a lot of pressure in our shifts, our jobs, and I can tell you that there have been times where I have cried going into work because I was so exhausted and didn't want to do it. Yet when I walk into a patient room I have learned to not let it show, to keep moving even when my feet are on fire and I just want to sit down. Now I don't know if you can relate but I have school loans to pay, kids to feed and a house payment we have to make so not going to work isn't an option, and I love what I do, but sometimes it is just hard being a nurse, and we get burned out and over it. We have talked about Spiritual, but can I take a second to talk to you about a very real thing most Christians don't like to talk about: Its physical burnout. You see our bodies were made to handle flight or fight response for a short period of time and yet most of us are in stressful situations all day every day. I was a hard working nurse working 60 hours a week in home care for a season of my life I bent over to pick up a piece of paper and threw my whole back out and laid on the couch for weeks at a time. My neck went numb, I couldn't run, I could barely walk and I was only twenty eight. In desperation I went to a massage therapist who worked with nerve endings. She spent two hours on my body the first time and from top to bottom it was so tight and it hurt me as she pressed on muscles and worked in blood and worked out tension. My muscles weren't able to get good blood because they were too tight and so my tissue perfusion was bad which was causing the numbing sensation. It took a year of monthly massages and taking care of my body to fix what ten years of neglect did to me. I am 32 now, I can walk and run and carry my kids where before I couldn't even carry my toddler. My kids used to pray that God would heal my back in their bedtime prayers.
Physical burn out is a big deal and it is something we don't talk about because its like God won't use us if we have physical limitations. Punishing our bodies is a way of saying we hate who we are. We dont have to say the words but we need to take care of our bodies. We don't need to pamper our bodies but we need to take care of them. Here are a few tips that I wan to give you as a nurse but also as a minister to the Gospel of Jesus.
Be kind to your body
Now I know this sounds dumb but I wear compression stockings at work, I am on my feet for a long time and Peripheral Vascular Disease is no joke, and if I don't protect my legs I will wake up with intense leg cramps and I wake up screaming, Nic does not appreciate being woken up with a screaming wife. So I wear compression stockings, I wear scrubs which have a million pockets for me to stuff pens, alcohol swabs and whatever else I need. I wear shoes that are good for my back and I change them out every six months, I know because I will go limping off the floor after a shift in my shoes. As stupid as it sounds you need to put things on your body to take care of it. I also get a monthly massage because what I do is so physically hard.
Physical Activity.
So I work a job that exhausts my body physically as well as mentally, emotionally and spiritually. So I find ways to recharge in every way, I talk about the others ones in different blogs so I am just going to talk physically for a second. For me I walk, I go to the gym sporadically but I enjoy walking 3 miles every day. I push myself physically every day so I am not looking for another way to push myself. I walk three miles outside in nature and let my body work off my physical energy and emotional energy from the day. Walking allows my body to move and relax while my emotions process. I do it in about 45 minutes I dont listen to music, I just walk in silence and I feel recharged when I do this. I am a busy woman but I am also a disciplined woman who is working towards an interconnected life. I know after 32 years what works for me and walking three miles everyday makes me feel better. I have seen people who are crazy awesome when it comes to exercises I am not one of them, I am not trying to obtain a six pack, to look good in a swimsuit, I am working muscles that will help me support my back, decrease my stress, and help me run the race of life even better and more complete. If you are crazy awesome with working out can I say I just admire you, and I am cheering you on!
Feeding your body
So what are you feeding your body? NOTE: This is not a shaming moment or a "you need to do this moment." I need to tell you sometimes I eat McDonads, I sneak Dairy Queen banana splits and I drink Diet Dr. Pepper. So I am coming to you as a normal woman but I know when I am not feeding my physical body right it affects everything. I have a gluten intolerance so I stick with certain foods because if I don't it affects my body, my hormones, and my sleep. I drink my weight in water. Yes I do my very best to stay hydrated, when I am hydrated I feel better, I don't have a headache, I pee clear, and my skin looks beautiful. Water is number one on my list of taking care of my body. The next thing I do is eat real food, like fruits, veggies, meat, milk, and you get it. Its simple but not easy.
Body Image
I am not looking to be a size 4, I am a size 9 and I am okay with that. I am looking for healthy patterns which are going to make my body last. If I am too skinny or not eating it affects my emotions and my hormones. My nails are brittle my hair falls out, I can't sleep, I bruise easily. I have been anorexic before and I can tell you I was never happy bone thin. When I eat some real foods and my nails are thicker I may be bigger but I am not unhealthy, just not trendy. Body Image is important but realistic goals are better. LONG haul ladies and gents, a little bit of fat will help you decrease the risk of skin breakdown when you are older. Those with a little cushion are less likely to have an injury when they fall Ladies you want to hear something amazing. Your body fat should increase the older you get! (within reason) We are all trying to look young and done when maybe we just need to be healthy, love ourselves right where we are and work to be healthy not skinny. Your body was meant for strength and service not to be a size 0 and stand in one place and not do anything. Each of us have a different body size, weight, and shape, but we have to love ourselves and give ourselves healthy life patterns to make life long changes.
I leave you with this question: What does health and strength look like?
Love Ya!!!
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