The Happy Nurse

Being mindful of the present is not an easy thing to do. We either get caught in the rabbit hole of the past, or we get too anxious about the future.  While recovering from COVID, I had deep reflections about what was going on in my inner world. The isolation worked in my favour as it gave me enough time to ponder on being mindful.   For this episode, you will hear my insights about how mindfulness can help us understand how we’re feeling. You will also be guided through a meditation practice that I regularly use in workshops and seminars.   It’s a challenge to be at peace with stillness. We overlook the fact that being mindful allows us to fully live in the moment and eliminate the judgement we have on ourselves and others.  If you’re looking for ways to better understand your thoughts and emotions, be sure to listen to the episode. TOPICS WE DISCUSSED INCLUDE: What does mindfulness mean? (02:37) The value of engaging in the present or flow state (04:05) Three spheres of influence (06:23) The benefits of being aware of our senses and emotions (06:58) Why we should not listen to respond but listen to understand (09:15) The dangers of being judgmental towards ourselves and others and how to deal with it (11:37) Meditation practise (16:09) CONNECT WITH ELAINA MULLERY HappyNurse.com.au Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook Connect with me on LinkedIn Subscribe to my Youtube channel For more information got to: happynurse.com.au/podcast/

The pressure of everyday life can become unreasonable at times. The effect of this can have us operating from our fight or flight response. In this episode, we’ll unpack the impact of the nervous system on our well-being with Michelle Powell. Michelle is a world-renowned trauma and wellness expert, and a regular guest on The Happy Nurse Podcast. She shares her knowledge of how the nervous system influences thoughts, actions, and responses, and how It’s important for to create a strategy that can help regulate our inner self. If we’re aware of the impacts of the nervous system, we learn how to navigate its activation and quickly return to homeostasis. Michelle reveals the methods she uses to manage stressful situations, how to recenter focus, and bring us back to a grounded space. TOPICS WE DISCUSSED INCLUDE: Why we need to talk about the nervous system (03:46) Recognising our default fight or flight reactions (05:30) Regulating our inner voice (12:25) What can you do when your nervous system is activated (17:05) A good relationship with ourselves matters (18:25) Strategies that can help recenter and reground (21:00) The power of breath-work (26:35) Therapeutic zone of breathing (29:10) The significance of 5-5 and 468 breathing techniques (35:05) CONNECT WITH MICHELLE POWELL https://themichellepowell.com.au/  Connect with Michelle on Facebook and Instagram Subscribe to Michelle’s YouTube channel here.  Grab a copy of Michelle’s book The Mastery of Wellness. CONNECT WITH ELAINA MULLERY HappyNurse.com.au Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook Connect with me on LinkedIn Subscribe to my Youtube channel For more information got to: happynurse.com.au/podcast/

In this episode, I chat with Nichola about the importance of sharing our stories with others.   Nichola's nursing career spans over three decades and has a depth of knowledge and experience. She shares her wisdom about her career, reflective practice, and the importance of self-reflection.   It's time to share our stories about burnout, as this has the potential to assist others to recognise that they may be heading toward burnout and seek early intervention. Burnout can be very isolating but knowing you are not alone and having the support of peers and community is a powerful aid to recovery.   TOPICS WE DISCUSSED INCLUDE: Nichola’s volunteering journey (05:30) Her personal burnout experience (11:29) The effects of compassion fatigue and burnout (16:40) Her commitment to being well for life (19:55) The Five Aspects of Self-Care (22:00) The importance of having a support system (26:39) The power of me too movement (31:33) How journaling helped Nichola with her burnout (33:45) CONNECT WITH NICHOLA BROWNING Connect with Nichola on LinkedIn and Twitter Check out the Burnout No More courses here. Learn more about the Young Stroke Project here. CONNECT WITH ELAINA MULLERY HappyNurse.com.au Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook Connect with me on LinkedIn Subscribe to my Youtube channel For more information got to: happynurse.com.au/podcast/

There is a growing demand to create a space for psychological safety in the healthcare industry. It’s vital for producing a high-performance team.   Healthcare professionals focus on the psychological safety of their patients. They look after patients to the best of their abilities and ensure that they’re set up for success. However, this safe space is often not offered to themselves or their colleagues.  In this episode, I have another astounding conversation with Liam Caswell, a High Performance Nurse Coach. With 10 years of international healthcare experience, he aims to coach, educate, and transform the lives and careers of nurses. In our conversation, Liam emphasized the importance of setting a space for psychological safety in the workplace. If the healthcare industry really wants to establish this, they’ll create an environment that stimulates self-awareness and self-compassion, so nurses can perform as their authentic selves. TOPICS WE DISCUSSED INCLUDE: Getting clear about your why in life (04:38) Why we need to increase our tolerance for failure (12:11) The benefits of establishing psychological safety in healthcare (18:45) Why self-awareness and self-compassion matter (26:05) Reframing burnout as something positive (31:52) How to step into your authentic self (35:20) CONNECT WITH LIAM CASWELL https://www.liamcaswell.com/   Connect with Liam on LinkedIn Connect with Liam on Facebook and Instagram Listen to Liam’s podcast, High Performance Nursing, here. CONNECT WITH ELAINA MULLERY HappyNurse.com.au Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook Connect with me on LinkedIn Subscribe to my Youtube channel For more information got to: happynurse.com.au/podcast/

There is a second pandemic currently occurring. Burnout in our healthcare staff. Many of us are beyond burnout and we are having to shift our focus from prevention, to burnout recovery.    The environment that is pre disposing us to burnout and compassion fatigue is creating “moral injury.”  Moral Injury is leading to nurses feeling undervalued, trapped, exhausted, unappreciated and lost in a very broken system.   In this episode, I had the pleasure to chat with Janie Hoogesteger. She is a Registered Nurse with  over 20 years of nursing experience. She believes that for the longest time, nurses have been focusing their energies on their patients and neglecting self-care. Janine shares a holistic approach to self-care, her non-negotiable when it comes to self-care and how she helps heal the healers through her retreats.   TRIGGER warning - Suicide is discussed in this episode.    TOPICS WE DISCUSSED INCLUDE: Why do nurses experience a moral injury? (03:25) The dangers of gaslighting nurses (05:52) The negative effects of being resilient (09:00) Janie's non-negotiable in self-care (12:35) The benefits of sleep in productivity (21:08) Finding what works for you (24:32) Indulgent self-care (26:15) What inspires Janie to be the best version of herself? (31:27) Trigger Warning: Janie discusses her flatmate’s suicide & how it changed her (31:59) Janie's motivation for creating retreats (37:00) CONNECT WITH JANIE HOOGESTEGER https://www.rnretreats.com/  Connect with Janie on Facebook and Instagram Register for the Reset Retreat here.

Welcome back to The Happy Nurse Podcast. It has been a busy 6 months break, but I’m excited to be recording and sharing knowledge with you once again. There’s no better way to begin the podcast than with a wonderful friend of mine, Michelle Powell. Michelle Is a Trauma and Wellness Expert, she holds many qualifications including, Hypnotherapist, Emotional Coach, NLP & Timeline Therapy Practitioner and so much more. In this episode, Michelle and I discuss how healthcare professionals can find their light at the end of the tunnel. We all know that nurses are no longer looking for burnout prevention, they now need burnout recovery strategies.    The stress and burnout tunnel may feel difficult to pass through, but it’s always possible. It starts with having the mindset that your well-being should be a priority. The journey through the tunnel may be long and challenging, but there’s always light at the end of it if you keep moving forward. If you feel you need immediate crisis intervention. Please call Nurse & Midwife Support - 1800 667 877.   TOPICS WE DISCUSSED INCLUDE: The reality of nursing burnout (02:30) Nurses’ professional and personal pressures (07:33) The consequences of not delivering the best care (12:22) How to beat healthcare burnout (14:30) Why we need to take care of mental and emotional space (20:07) The importance of finding your tribe (23:08) From Stressed to In Control (30:10) RESOURCES MENTIONED 050: Unpacking Body Image Issues Part 2 with Michelle Powell The Mastery Of Wellness From Stressed To In Control CONNECT WITH MICHELLE POWELL https://themichellepowell.com.au/  Connect with Michelle on Facebook and Instagram Subscribe to Michelle’s Youtube Channel CONNECT WITH ELAINA MULLERY HappyNurse.com.au Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook Connect with me on LinkedIn Subscribe to my Youtube channel For more information got to: happynurse.com.au/podcast/

We’ve finally hit episode 50! I’m beyond excited to celebrate this milestone and what better way to do so by having back on the show one of our regular guests, Michelle Powell.  We recorded an episode a couple of months ago around body image which was very well received. However, it was such a big topic that we were not really able to get to the bottom of what body image can encompass.  So today, we’re back to unpack concepts of the perfect body image that the media and everyone else bombard us with. From this, we’ll tackle how we should course through our body image issues. We cannot emphasise enough that our bodies carry our stories. Whatever milestones we go through in life, our bodies are there to change, age and transform with us.  You’ve got to be the change that you want to see in the world and it starts with embracing, loving and accepting your own work of art - which is your body. Join me in this episode as Michelle shares valuable insights on body image, it’s portrayal in media, and why it's crucial to stop comparing and start celebrating whatever body type you have.  Stay tuned next March for season 2 of The Happy Nurse! TOPICS WE DISCUSSED INCLUDE: The portrayal of the perfect body image by the media (4:52) Seeking external validation (7:10) Body image is not just a female issue (09:35) Elaina and Michelle’s journey with body image (11:09) Why cosmetic surgery should be backed by psychological assessment (17:40) The taboo on women’s cycle (29:25) How we feel about our bodies impacts our life (33:10) Dealing with our insecurities (37:30) Embrace your authenticity (39:24) RESOURCES MENTIONED Episode 45 - Body Image Issues with Michelle Powell Episode 42 - Empowered Period with Jacqui O’Connor CONNECT WITH MICHELLE POWELL themichellepowell.com.au Click Here to download your free copy of The 10 Foundations of Wellness Connect with Michelle on Facebook Connect with Michelle on Instagram Connect with Michell on Youtube CONNECT WITH ELAINA MULLERY HappyNurse.com.au Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook Connect with me on LinkedIn Subscribe to my Youtube channel For more information got to: happynurse.com.au/podcast/

We’ve all been deceived by the belief that success is about getting more.  As a result, we have developed an endless pursuit to have more and be more, only to find out that many of the things we chase don’t ring us happiness.  In fact sometimes, the exact opposite. Unfortunately for many, it leads to being stuck on the BS hamster wheel.   In this episode, I’m joined by Mark Bramwell, the author of the book, That’s Bullshit: Stop drowning under stress-inducing advice and a relentless pursuit of more. In his book Mark breaks down what’s really important in life and how we can achieve personal satisfaction. Do you want to free yourself from the hamster wheel  and from the BS that’s happening around your work and life?  Join me in this episode as Mark shares valuable insights from his book, That’s Bullshit. TOPICS WE DISCUSSED INCLUDE: How That’s Bullshit started (8:00) Find what works for you (11:20) Identifying and removing bullshit (18:37) Get a sense of your journey (26:15) Focus on becoming the best version of yourself (28:04) Create a goals board for giving (33:57)  It’s about being present (39:08)  Get balance (50:20)  RESOURCES MENTIONED BramwellSolutions That’s Bullshit! by Mark Bramwell Start With Why by Simon Sinek  CONNECT WITH MARK BRAMWELL bramwellsolutions.com.au Connect with Mark on Facebook Connect with Mark on Twitter Connect with Mark on LinkedIn CONNECT WITH ELAINA MULLERY HappyNurse.com.au Connect with me on Instagram and Facebook Connect with me on LinkedIn Subscribe to my Youtube channel For more information got to: happynurse.com.au/podcast/