Category: Lifestyle

5 Ways to Increase Your Motivation

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Motivation comes in all shapes and sizes. 

Paycheck, attention, passion, curiosity, to be better, competition.
I have been pondering motivation for the past month or so because this blog has given me a TON of motivation!
To see new things,
To experience life,
To take pictures,
To better my writing,
To travel,
To be creative,
The list goes on…
So I’ve been wondering, what causes motivation, or what helps us achieve it? Motivation is such an inspiring thing, so why don’t we all have it? And how can we get it?
And my answer I’ve come up with is not one that I particularly love. 
It is wavering.
It comes and goes.
It comes when you find passion, have interests, curiosity.

It goes when you get bored, life becomes mundane, you’re lonely.

And this is totally normal!
The caveat to all of this, is that I think you have more control over motivation than you think you do.
It’s all a mind game. 
I have come up with 5 ways to increase motivation that you can do for yourself. These can help increase productivity, drive passion, and help you be more invested in your amazing life.
#1  DO ONE THING

  • Come on, you knew that one was coming! 
  • Facing your fears and doing one thing every day that scares you will MOTIVATE you.
  • Dopamine is an amazing thing (neurotransmitter that makes you happy) and is a large factor in motivation. Getting dopamine pumping, like when doing something that scares you, will get you excited to do more things, hence: increasing motivation.

#2  SET GOALS 

  • Setting goals (especially small, specific ones) can help you see results quickly, which will motivate you to keep setting them and achieving them… lending you to be more motivated.
  • An example of this was a few weeks ago with this blog. I had six nights of work, and I made it my goal to write a post every day of those six days. It motivated me to write, and it was small enough that it didn’t seem unattainable.

#3  GO PUBLIC

  • Tell the world about your goals!
  • Utilize social media, a blog, a poster, chalk, whatever you need, to tell your friends and family about your goals. 
  • This will make you commit to your goals, and people will be expecting the results once you finish.
  • Decrease justifications/excuses for why you aren’t motivated by being public about it.
  • If you are worried about what other people will think of your little goals, DON’T BE. Don’t worry about what other people think! Use this for yourself. You’ll find that the publicity will bring you more support than you expect.

#4  USE YOUR BRAIN
  • You have such a powerful brain, use it to debate yourself and trick yourself into feeling motivated.
  • This sounds silly, I know. BUT IT WORKS! 
  • Utilize optimism, which is just a mindset, a perspective, to inspire you to get going on your goals or projects.
  • Talk yourself through negative thoughts/feelings and change them into positive ones. Sometimes I do this in the form of gratitude (grateful to have a job that pays the bills and keeps me challenged, instead of too tired to go to work).
  • Be persistent. This can take time to get used to, but it has been shown to be effective in increasing motivation and health
“Rule your mind, or it will rule you” ~Buddha 

#5  SELF CARE

  • I have learned about this exponentially since becoming a nurse and living on my own.
  • If all you do is give to others, your glass runs empty, and you can’t pour from an empty glass. Motivation also decreases with that empty glass.
  • I found that when I take care of myself (go to yoga, hike, get my hair done, get a massage, give myself a spa day, be with friends), I feel uplifted and more motivated to attain other goals that I have set for myself. 
  • Give yourself time during the day to feel pampered. 
  • Give yourself attention. 
  • We all crave it. 
  • You’ll be surprised at how motivated you are when you feel more put together!

These 5 steps will help you feel more motivated to complete your tasks and goals.
You will be more excited to get things done!
You will see results!
Remember, it’s ok if motivation waxes and wanes. That is normal!
Acknowledge that this happened, then practice these 5 tips to jump start it again.
Best of luck, and let me know if you have any other tips to add!
Rach

kindness matters

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A couple of weeks ago, I was inspired.


I was inspired by one of my very best friends. 

I am going to start this blog post by highlighting my best friend, then I’ll go into the ONE THING for today (craft day). 


 This is him. This is my best friend. 

He is without a doubt the most kind, selfless, optimistic, enthusiastic, caring, happy, joyful, hilarious, hard working, creative person that I have ever met (and that list is not finished either). 

He is a recent medical school graduate, a camp counselor, an intern, a friend, a brother, a son.

He has gone through more negative and testing events in the last few years than anyone should have to go through in an entire lifetime. 

Yet he is still all those things.

He is my inspiration in work and in life, and I am eternally grateful for him.

A couple of weeks ago, he sent me a Snapchat of a “small” project that he was working on.

He had written on all of the “heart” faced cards of a deck, little inspirational phrases. His plan was to scatter them around the hospital he is working at because he felt that with all of the hardship that the patients, families, nurses, doctors, therapists, techs, etc go though, it could use a little cheering up.

THAT is just the kind of person he is.

Amazing, right? 

Working in a hospital myself, and working on my daily gratitude, I was inspired to spread the love that he had started. 

And now, here we are. 

Craft day is complete with “heart” cards filled out, and “you rock” rocks designed.

Not a minute passed where I wasn’t practicing gratitude. 

Gratitude for humankind. 


Gratitude for my profession and all those involved.



Gratitude for this beautiful place I call home.


Gratitude for the opportunity to be grateful. 


Words cannot describe this feeling adequately.


Now that the crafts are done, I get to disperse them. Throughout my hospital. Throughout my community.

I hope it brightens someone’s day, makes them smile. 

I hope they feel inspired like I did.

I hope you do too.

Cheers,

Rach


the breakfast club

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Ok, not the traditional breakfast club…

I’m talking about the power of breakfast with friends. 

I didn’t realize the power of this simple act until this very morning. 
 
I love going out to breakfast with friends! But there was something about spending the last five nights with these beautiful people, maybe being a little crazy from that fact, and having mimosas and a delicious breakfast that made me cherish a good friend breakfast. 
 
Needless to say, it was needed. And amazing. 
 
 
The ICU I work on utilizes travel nurses. These are nurses who travel from place to place in the country and sign short-term contracts with a hospital. Three of these travel nurses are about to head out on another adventure, so we wanted to celebrate with a fun breakfast!
 
We went to the Garnet Cafe, which is a local breakfast joint here in Coeur d’Alene. I have heard nothing but good reviews, so I was anxious to try it!
 
It did not disappoint!
 
I got a scramble with all types of veggies, potatoes, and rosemary toast. 

Oh my gosh. 

Probably one of the best breakfast foods I have ever had.

But that wasn’t even the best part!

The best part was laughing until our stomachs hurt.
 
After working a twelve-hour night shift (especially after five of them), you get a little silly. 
 
We had the best time laughing and joking. 
 
To be completely honest, it gets pretty lonely up here. 
 
This breakfast was exactly what I needed to remind myself of the good people and good times that can be had in a new place! And the little nudge I needed as I go into night 6 of 6 tonight.
 
The power of friends, laughter, and good food is unfathomable. 
 
It has the power to make you feel loved, light, happy, joyful, and those feelings are needed!
 
Take some friends, go out to breakfast, add a fun mimosa on top, and have a beautiful day! Today is a short post, as I woke up late… sorry!
 
Cheers,
 
Rachel 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

little things

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“Watch the sunrise at least once a year, put a lot of marshmallows in your hot chocolate, lie on your back and look at the stars, never buy a coffee table you can’t put your feet on, never pass up a chance to jump on a trampoline, don’t overlook life’s small joys while searching for the big ones.”

~H. Jackson Brown Jr.

This is a quote on a magnet that I have on my fridge. 

It is such a good reminder to love the little things. 

As I go into my work night 4 of 6, I’m needing a little reminder of little things that have brought me joy over the past few days. 

 

Joy list:

  • It’s getting cooler and cloudier here in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. That means it’s easier to sleep during the day!
  • I made that chocolate chip banana bread earlier in the week, which has been a lovely treat in the middle of my shifts.
  • I’ve been given an admission every shift during this stretch (admissions from the ER are a lot of work, usually extremely busy), but I am starting to get faster/more efficient at them!
  • My patient last night wrote how thankful she was for the care I was giving her 💛
  • My coworkers have all been rockstars. Helpful to me and to one another, silly when we can be, able to talk things out when needed.
  • My new coffee I bought tastes AMAZING.

  • My succulents are still alive!
  • I got a letter from a long time friend from Colorado State University.
  • I got a wedding invitation from some friends back home (by the way, it’s the cutest invite ever).
  • I’ve gotten to write on this blog every day!

 

 Feeling like you can’t see the sun for so many days in a row can be tough, but finding the happiness in little things can help you realize how lucky you are, and that this life is actually pretty amazing.

 
Short post today, happy day!
 
Rachel

vulnerability.

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“Vulnerability is not winning or losing: it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome.”

~Brene Brown

 

Of course I had to open a post about vulnerability with Brene Brown. She is the queen of vulnerability discussions, so I probably won’t do her justice, but these are my thoughts on the matter. 

Vulnerability is HARD. 

There. I said it. 
 

Since living on my own through college, and now really alone in Idaho, I have shared my personal fears, regrets, longings with almost no one. No one really knows what’s going on up here [points to head]. And I think that frustrates some people! Especially my close friends: either those who have been or who I’m trying to make. So, I’m sorry.
 
So, this afternoon, I am delving into what vulnerability is, and why it is so difficult for me personally in the attempt to motivate myself to be more vulnerable, and to motivate you all as well. 
 

What it is:

Vulnerability is: writing this blog.
Vulnerability is: being open when you’re afraid.
Vulnerability is: being okay with being silly and goofy with those you love.
Vulnerability is: doing something you’ve never done before.*
Vulnerability is: adventuring in new places with new people
Vulnerability is: being brave.
Vulnerability is: celebrating the little things.
Vulnerability is: acknowledging your fears and telling others about them.
Vulnerability is: being ok with not knowing something.
Vulnerability is: asking for help.
Vulnerability is: being open and honest with yourself.
 

Why it’s hard:

I don’t feel in control.

This was a big one for me to realize, and Brene Brown hit it right on the nose. As an ICU nurse, I am always in control. I have complete control over my patients, their lives, labs, daily happenings. All of it.
 
And I transfer that to my everyday life.

(P.S. I am making these realizations as I am writing this.)
 
I am so used to feeling in control of every situation, that is so extremely uncomfortable to feel out of control, feel vulnerable.
 
I think this has affected my friendships: both the old and the new. I think that by not being vulnerable in order to stay in control, I have put everyone I love at arms length. Which isn’t fair to them or to me!
 

What I’m going to do about it:

I’m going to be vulnerable.
I’m going to open up to my friends.
I’m going to lose control.
I’m going to write this blog
I’m going to tell people when I’m afraid.
I’m going to be silly and goofy.
I’m going to do something I’ve never done before.*
I’m going to adventure in new places with new people.
I’m going to be brave.
I’m going to celebrate the little things. 
I’m going to acknowledge my fears.
I’m going to be ok if I don’t know something.
I’m going to ask for help.
I’m going to be open and honest with myself.
 
These are a lot of *new things that I am going to do, and to be honest, I’m a little nervous!
 
Friends: help me. Help me be vulnerable with you so that we can grow our friendship.
 
And finally, to you: I hope this brings you hope, joy, and even a little fear. Fear that maybe you could be being more vulnerable with those you love. Fear that this might be the start of something new and challenging for you. 
 
Best of luck, and feel free to reach out.
 
Rachel
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

love

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Love is probably the topic that I ponder most in my day-to-day life (aside from travel/adventure).

Trying to organize and assemble my messy thoughts on love has proven to be much harder than I anticipated, so bear with me: here are my unassembled thoughts on love.

 

 

  • Love can be given to and received from anyone: boy, girl, friend, lover, husband, wife, sibling, parent, yourself. It has no rules or boundaries. Many people think it does; however, nowhere are there rules for love!
  • Love is difficult to receive for most. I haven’t quite worked this out yet, except that I think it has to do with thoughts of whether or not the love is deserved. My thoughts on this are that everyone is deserving of love, and it is important that we accept it in whichever way it is presented to us (whether that be physical, emotional, thoughtful gesture, gifts, or service). I think that when we don’t accept love that is given to us, it halts the cycle. It is emotionally harmful to both the giver and receiver when this happens. Something to work on…
  • Love is relatively easy to give for most. The problem comes when we think that the love we are giving is received in the same way that we receive it. This is an idea I am promoting from the book The Five Love Languages. This book illustrated for me, that people do not feel love as strongly in some areas as in others. It is so important to figure out how your loved one feels love the best, then cater to that! For instance, I feel love most in words of encouragement. Whether that be in cheers, pep talks, or letters (I love letters, have a whole box of them), that is how I receive love the best. Were someone to give me a gift, it would be lovely, but I wouldn’t feel as encouraged and loved as words make me feel.
  • Love has to be felt extremely deeply, and that has to be where all actions originate from. I realized this when I visited my Colorado home recently, which was accompanied by a long drive and chat with my mom (love those). Hearing about my parents’ relationship has opened up many viewpoints for me. They have such a powerful relationship. What I have learned, is that it stems from a friendship kind of love. This love has obviously blossomed over many years, to be more of the romantic love that it is now. Chatting with my mom, I was told that this love took time, patience, and work. Not exactly what I envisioned my fairytale love life to be like! But I have more respect for that kind of love. The love that is so true and deep and powerful.

Side note: they are now officially empty nesters now that my brother is off to college, and they are crushing it!! Trading off making dinners, picking new and fun activities every week, having quality conversations, and still the fun-loving couple I always remember.


 

So that’s what I do [think I] know about love… minimal at best.

What I don’t know, is how to love so much that this loneliness feeling I have being up here on my own goes away.

I THINK that it’s a time thing. Time will help me make solid relationships that are no longer surface level, and that I can really be vulnerable with.

I THINK that loving others on my end, the giving end, is a key component to grow in love in the best way possible, and to be open to creating those connections.

I THINK that love has all the answers, and that it takes sitting back and letting it do it’s thing to show that.

If any of you have the answers, or even thoughts on the topic, feel free to comment! I’d love the insight.

And yes, I’m still single. Yes, I go on the occasional date. No, I haven’t found my person up here in Northern Idaho.

So to finish with a quote from the woman that inspired this blog:

“The giving of love is an education in itself.”

 

~Eleanor Roosevelt


the daily grind

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So, I’ve been doing ample amounts of research regarding successful blogs, successful writers, and ways to enhance writing. One of the most common tips?

Daily writing

I’ve made that my goal for this week… or until next Wednesday… And here’s why this goal will really test me: I work almost everyday from now until then.

Anyone who knows me, knows that when I go into a stretch of nights at work, I lose complete contact with the outside world. I basically sleep, work, and eat until my stretch is up and I can return to being a normal person, instead of a vampire. Writing a blog post will usually be the LAST thing on my mind.

HOWEVER, I am excited about this blog! About documenting my thoughts and pushing forward and doing new and exciting things. So, it will be my goal to post every day. I’m not saying they will be particularly long or interesting, but there will be a post!

Now for my one thing.

I baked some chocolate chip banana bread.

Yes it does taste as good as it sounds!

It took a lot of mental manipulation of myself to convince me to turn the oven on when it was 90 degrees out and my apartment doesn’t have air conditioning.

BUT I DID IT.

Simple ingredients from a little Pinterest article I found here.

And it turned out amazing!!!

With this one new thing, I am able to have a sweet breakfast every morning for my shifts at work.

Baking is such a fun and relaxing way to center myself. I blast some tunes and allow for my mind to be fully immersed in what I am making.

It’s kind of like crafting for some people.

Anyway, allowing myself to center on that one task of baking made me feel incredibly peaceful. I feel more grounded and present in my day. It was truly a gift. And all of the over-heating was entirely worth it.

ten days

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A lot happens in ten days! My apologies for not writing sooner.

At the start of these past ten days, I was working. I am an ICU nurse working night shift. I work 7pm to 7am, I have two patients, and it’s usually pretty busy for most of the night. My patients need constant checks on vitals, medications, safety, etc.

And I love it.

It is interesting, fun, scary, exciting, all at the same time, and my shoulders sit uncomfortably in my ears from stress for most of the night. Having people’s lives in my hands is no picnic, especially for a newbie. It has only been six months, so I am still learning every single day. Not that I ever plan to stop.

So, a quick overview of new work experiences:

  • I gave blood by myself (no preceptor) for the first time to a patient who was bleeding internally.
  • I got a patient on a medication that I had never cared for by myself (no preceptor) before.

I know these are silly things, but being a new graduate nurse, I still get excited over the little things. I’m going to hold onto that for as long as I can, with burnout and compassion fatigue being so prevalent in my profession (I’ll get to my thoughts on those in a later post).

After my four days of work, I flew to Colorado! So, here we go.

August 14th: I got a new haircut! I got about eight inches cut off! It seems like a lot, but my hair was super long. With the cut, it’s still below my shoulder blades.

August 15th: I went to Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater for the first time! I got to see Mumford and Sons (for the second time; the first time was a week prior at the Gorge Amphitheater in Washington). It was a super cool venue! The front section are all seats, and the back is grass. We sat on the grass- just brought a blanket. Once the show started, everybody stood up. They were absolutely phenomenal.

August 16th: I got to have lunch with my best friend from nursing school! We went to this adorable restaurant in Louisville, CO called The Huckleberry. She got crepes, and I got eggs Benedict, and they were both unbelievably delicious! I hadn’t seen her in six months, so it was wonderful to catch up. Just to toot her horn a bit… she is an amazing float nurse (meaning she floats to most of the floors in the hospital) at Children’s Hospital in Denver, CO. This hospital is incredibly competitive to get into, and she got in right after nursing school!

August 18th: I did a beautiful hike to Lake Isabelle with my mom this day! I’ve hiked to this lake before, but it was a notable day to get to be unplugged for a while and relish in the beauty of an alpine lake.

Lake Isabelle– CO

The other occurrence of note on this day, was that my plane home got turned around just prior to take-off due to a person having heart palpitations. They had to turn around and go back to the gate for the paramedics to help the person off of the plane! It was quite the lengthy journey back to Idaho.

August 19th (today): Wow. Today hurt my heart more than it’s been hurt in a long time. Today, my friend took me to a house north of Coeur d’Alene where she was watching the house and animals of a woman she met. The woman was in the hospital, and had three horses and three dogs that needed to be cared for on her property. What I did not know, was that these animals were not well cared for due to financial reasons (though they were getting excellent care from my friend). I was fortunate enough to never have seen a neglected animal before, so the sights today were haunting. It hurts my heart that animals even have the potential of being neglected, and I hope that better homes can be found for them soon.

  • Waterfall to Lake Isabelle
  • Long Lake– CO
  • Elephant head flowers
  • “…I- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference” Robert Frost

Quite the eventful ten days.

I will try to be more regular about posting, sometimes life gets away from me, but at least it’s being filled with fun, new things! I’ll leave you with a quote that spoke to me after my Colorado time.

“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.”

John Muir

gratitude.

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It’s on my mind…

Working at a sleep-away summer camp as a counselor, I learned a lot about gratitude. Being high in the Sierra Mountains, we had no cell phone service, so we learned to write notes. Like the “good old days,” right? Something that I noticed within the first week of working at this camp, was that the main purpose of writing notes to each other and to our campers was to express gratitude.

Gratitude for the person’s awesomeness. Gratitude for a helping hand. Gratitude for being real and honest. Gratitude for being a friend.

“You rock” rocks.

It sounds super cheesy, but the truth is, those notes of gratitude made my entire experience unforgettable and special.

AND, it wasn’t only getting these notes of gratitude that I remember, but also writing them! Writing down feelings of joy and thankfulness brought me more to the present moment. It made me grateful for the little things and helped me recognize them.

I notice now that I am away from that environment, that I lose track of the little things that I am grateful for.

So my “one thing” for today:

Practicing gratitude.

Today, I made sure to take notice the things I am grateful for in my little world, with a goal to be grateful for people I encounter as well. And here’s the list:

  • Peaceful mornings
  • Coffee
  • Breakfast foods
  • Lakes
  • The chance to live near lakes
  • Water activities
  • Good books
  • Self-care/Spa nights

The list goes on, but I won’t bother you with smaller details. Just writing this list down helped me be present today. I wasn’t at work, and I got to enjoy the place I live. I feel lucky for that, and I think that practicing the art of gratitude helped me realize how lucky I am! And to be honest, it was scary coming to the realization that I don’t notice it every single day.

In the future, I hope to write more letters to the people I love and tell them how grateful I am for their presence. Let’s brighten more days.

Cheers

The Big Idea

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Alright, it’s been one week since I’ve written, and yes I have done many new things! I’m thinking that I will lump them into one big post this week since time got away from me.

So here we go…

August 2nd: My best friend arrived from Colorado! It was the first time that I’ve had a friend, not family member, out to visit me in Idaho. She has also been my best friend for about fifteen years, so you could say we’re close. Getting to show her around my town and my new home was exciting and fresh, but it also reminded me how much I still need to put myself out there and make friends in my new home.

August 3rd: This day, it wasn’t me who did something new, but a friend, and her joy and excitement still has me giddy for my “do one thing” goal. PADDLE BOARDING. I bought myself a paddle board when I moved to Coeur d’Alene because I live a walk away from a gorgeous lake! My friend however, had never been before and was pretty scared to try. Not only did she go out far on the lake, but she stood up, didn’t fall in, and had a blast! Her experience completely reaffirmed my belief in doing one thing that scares you. Her confidence radiated after she paddled for the day, and her joy was absolutely overflowing.

August 4th: I am officially a Registered Nurse in the ICU, and this night was my first night ON MY OWN. I have been training for six months with a preceptor. Someone who was with me everyday helping answer my questions, show me protocols, check in with me, and push me to learn and be better everyday. This was an amazing experience, and I still have not fully wrapped my head around the fact that it’s done. But this night, I had my own two patients, made all my own decisions, and got to feel like the shift was my own accomplishment! I will say that I was nauseous and shaky all day prior, but the shift still turned out great. Here’s to the rest of my nursing career.

August 7th: Today. I realize that I did not write about every single day this past week, and while I’m sure I learned something new each of those days, I did not have any big, scary moments that I overcame. That is my future goal, and the reason for starting this blog, but I also think that it’s okay to start with small steps before you take the big ones. I also think that still working as a full time RN and living in a place that lets me be outside and go on adventures whenever I want, I am a busy girl! So it’s okay to live my life, while still being conscious about pushing myself and stepping outside of my comfort zone.

This evening, I am taking myself to a musical: Les Miserables. It is my all time favorite. Not only have I seen it professionally at least three times, but I was also in the production twice. My “do one thing” is giving myself time today to pamper myself, get fancy, and go do something I adore!

Next up: some thoughts on gratitude, but until then…

Cheers