Taking Care of YOU as You Take Care of Others.
Adopting JOLT into Your Daily Life and Practice
Kids ROCK-October 2014
St. John’s, Newfoundland, CANADA
Overview of Presentation
My personal journey towards gratitude and resilience
The JOLT movement
How does this apply to health care?
Three JOLT prescriptions for you and your team.
Three JOLT prescriptions for your patients and families
Questions and Discussion
The Journey Towards Gratitude
Stars may be seen from the bottom of a deep well, when they cannot be
discerned from the top of a mountain. So are many things learned in
adversity which the prosperous man dreams not of.
~Charles Spurgeon~
If We Can Find Just One Little Thing…
On the back of an envelope in the parking lot of a funeral home…
Published Gratitude in Grief in March 2010.
Continued to blog and write, connecting with thousands of people all over the world.
Launched Just One Little Thing Facebook Group on July 4, 2011.
Published Just One Little Thing in April 2012.
The Purpose of the Group
Encourage members to share one little thing each day they are thankful for, simple or grand.
To spread positive news happening around the world.
To share opportunities for volunteering, giving one little thing to someone else who may need it.
Give people a safe forum to share information, re-framing people's perspective on life.
What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but
what is woven into the lives of others.~Pericles~
What does JOLT have to do with Health Care?
In today's 24/7 society, workplace pressures continue to mount. Productivity demands, information overload and increasing pressure to balance work and home lives can take a toll on employees' health and well-being.
The health care system is more pressured than ever. Do more with less.
Life in general is more complex. With increased connectivity, why are we feeling more isolated?
You work day to day in the most challenging environment. Uncertainty, and no definitive positive outcomes are promised.
You care for others…but what is left for you at the end of the day?
The Science Behind Gratitude
Martin Seligman, Ph.D., father of Positive Psychology and author of Learned Optimism and Authentic Happiness has devoted is career to quantifying the value of gratitude and attitude in long term health and happiness.
American Psychological Association has completed extensive work on implementing “The Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program.”
Carnegie Mellon University research shows high stress appears to accelerate the progression of many diseases. This research shows for the first time that high stress levels are responsible for runaway inflammation that "can promote the development and progression of disease” and reduce the effectiveness of cortisol to regulate inflammation.
Duke University Medical Center researchers found that positive thinking about the future was linked with a lower risk of poor outcomes from heart disease.
How JOLT Can Impact You
It cannot change the fact that bad things happen every single day. It can change the way you see life even when bad things are happening.
It anchors you to the present moment.
It changes your perspective on your circumstances. Open hearted living.
With commitment, it becomes a habit. You begin to see life differently, with a focus on what is working, not what is broken.
When you see your life as “How can I contribute love to the world?”
You will live a longer, healthier life.
~Dr. Bernie Seigel~
How JOLT Can Impact your Team
Your jobs are designed on the assessment of issues so you can best care for your patients. You have been trained to assess for signs of trouble. JOLT can allow you to look for signs of success as well.
It can transform your daily routine. What if you decided to make JOLT a part of your daily routine, at home and at work?
Make your work zone one that nurtures both staff and patients.
Note how good you feel after you have encouraged someone else. No other
argument is necessary to suggest that you never miss the opportunity to give
encouragement. ~George Adams~
How JOLT Can Impact Your Patients
Illness, both chronic and acute, can create turmoil that reaches into all aspect’s of a person’s life, and precipitates a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
Emotions, Self Esteem, Lifestyle, Personal Values and Beliefs. All are challenged.
JOLT is not a fix-all. But it can help illuminate the tiny blessings that co-exist with their day-to-day reality.
Three JOLTS for You and Your practice
Set up a daily touch point for gratitude within your work day. Make it a habit. This is not a management initiative. This is a life initiative. Take responsibility for your piece of the change. Make Positive Feedback a part of your daily feedback. At shift change, at team meetings.
Silence the cynics and set the tone. Make your work zone one that nurtures you and your patients. Set the tone.
If you are a leader….Great leaders move us. They move us through a basic human process - our emotions. They are literally in tune with others around them. Their levels of emotional intelligence enable them to create and nurture relationships.
Three JOLTS for Your Patients and Families
Share the message of JOLT. You are an influencer, a change agent. Remind them that even though things are less than perfect, they always have blessings.
Let them be part of the ripple. Reduction of anxiety can be achieved via the sharing of experience, positive feedback, and discovering normalizing experiences within illness. The little things…
Be aware of your impact. Your attitude and belief in their potential can make all the difference.
The one thing you can’t take away from me is the way I choose to
respond to what you do to me. The last of one’s freedoms is to choose
your attitude in any given circumstance.
~Victor Frankl~