NURS 478 Self Care Journal

Your Name: Sean Benesh Your Buddy: Ethan Viator

Select any evidence-based intervention/recommendation to follow (do this over 8 weeks):

◻ Sleep at least 7 hours per night before and after a work or school day
◻ Practice mindfulness meditation for at least 10 minutes everyday
◻ Complete at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, such as biking under 9
mph, dancing, jogging, or playing tennis; or complete 60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week,
such as running, kickboxing, or jumping rope.
◻ Participate in two professionally led yoga classes for one hour or longer per week
◻ Spend up to 2 hrs in Nature or longer per week
◻ Other (Must get your Clinical Faculty approval first, and activity should be up to 2 hrs or longer
per week)

Complete Weekly journal entries:

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

For my evidenced based intervention that I plan to follow over the next 8 weeks I will be spending 2

hours in nature or longer per week. This week I decided to break these 2 hours up into 3-4 45-30-minute

walks per week. I am fortunate enough to live nearby a beautiful wash and my neighborhood has several

different trails to explore for some variety. To bring some mindfulness into my walks I decided to try to

notice at least 3 things about my surroundings per walk to try and be more present since I have the

tendency to get lost in my thoughts during walks in the past.

Comments on Activity:

I was successful in completing all my walks this week. It was a bit difficult to get myself ready to go

out, especially on days when I did not have any classes or other things to get up for. For this reason, I

decided 3 45-minute walks would be an easier goal going forward. I also had been aiming to go for

walks in the morning, but it was challenging to get up on time and 2/3 of my walks were in the evening

around sunset time. A few highlights I noticed from my walks included some woodpeckers, flycatchers,
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 and other birds I noticed as well as some cool looking cacti and saguaros.

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

For my second week I decided to stick with my established plan from week 1, going on 3 45-minute

walks per week around my neighborhood. This week I decided to aim for afternoon walks since they

seemed easier to fit into my schedule for the moment. I also decided to take some of my walks through

my old neighborhood as well to help mix up the routes a bit from week 1. I will continue to implement

mindfulness during my walks by taking note of some interesting things I notice throughout my walks.

Comments on Activity:

I was successful in completing all my walks this week. It was still a bit challenging to get myself ready

to go out but every time I came home from my walks, I felt proud of myself and a bit more motivated to

jump into my other tasks for the evening. I realized it might be better to try for morning walks since if I

come home feeling motivated in the morning then I will still have a whole day ahead of me to get things

done. A few highlights I noticed from my walks included walking by my old neighborhood community

center and some old streets where I used to live. In many ways this week’s walks were both a

metaphorical and a literal walk down memory lane.

Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

Hey Sean, I think you have developed an amazing plan in the past two weeks for your self-care journal.

Nature is such a powerful force and I think you have discovered that here with your experiences of

newfound motivation. I also really like your idea of implementing mindfulness. So often when humans

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 are in nature, we are so loud and lost in our own worlds that we fail to see the life and wonders that are

right around us. Seeing the birds and vegetation that you mentioned is a perfect example of the wonders

of life nature has to offer. Great work!

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

For week 3 I decided to stick with 3 45-minute walks in my neighborhood and essentially the same plan

as for week 3 but this time aiming to complete my walks in the morning again since I had been feeling

more productive after my afternoon walks last week. I also went on a couple of walks with my mother

and father respectively to give us some time to catch up on things despite all our busy schedules. I

walked though some of the route from week 1 but mixed it up going different paths in a few places. I

also planned to check in with my parents at the end of the day to see if they felt the walk helped them.

Comments on Activity:

I was successful in completing my walks again this week and I was able to spend one walk with my

father, one with my mother and another just by myself as before. I was able to get up to go for my walks

this week and it helped to have another person to help hold me accountable for getting up and ready on

time. I was a bit tired after my morning walks which indicated to me that I likely should work on getting

better sleep to help with the waking up problem, but I still felt motivated and ready to start the days

better than when I didn’t walk. My parents reported that the walks helped them get a better start to their

days as well.

Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

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 What a great idea to include your parents in your walks. Having someone to share experiences in nature

with can really make the experience more impactful. It seems that you got a great chance to catch up

with your parents, something that isn't so easy during the busy semester. Smart choice to switch to

morning walks as well. Getting to experience walks both early and late in the day can expose you to

different creatures and sights. Keep up the good work!

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

For week 4 I did much of the same plan as for week 3 but since my parents were both out of town, I

went back to just going on the walks by myself. I aimed to go for 3 45-minute walks in the mornings

whenever my time allowed. I was still making note to myself to pay attention to mindfulness and to take

note of at least 3 things in my environment to help keep my mind more focused on the present during

my walks. Going on walks at this point is starting to feel more routine which I worry makes it a bit

easier for my mind to wander back to my worries about school, so I put special emphasis on this part of

the goal for this week.

Comments on Activity:

I was successful in completing my walks this week, but I had to do one of my walks in the afternoon

since I missed doing it in the morning and it was too hot for me to want to go back out until the evening.

It was easier than I anticipated to keep my mind present this week. I suspect this might be because I

approached these walks with a special intention to stay present and I was starting to feel more

comfortable with the idea of going for regular walks. A few things I visited this week were some old

houses of some friends of mine from back in elementary school. I am not sure if they still live there but

it was interesting to explore my past a bit again.

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 Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

Once again I enjoyed reading and listening to what you had to share about this week. It is so interesting

how so quickly an action can become a routine within just a few weeks. Really shows that if we put our

minds into bettering ourselves, a massive improvement in our lives could easily come. Also so fun that

you visited the houses of old friends. I always love driving by friends' houses when I am back home to

bring up old memories. Doing so also makes you enjoy your walks much more I am sure. Can't wait to

see your experiences next week.

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

For week 5 I planned to go for the same walks as before, but an opportunity came up to get to the park

with my mom and brother. We went together for a few hours to Agua Caliente, a park up near Sabino

Canyon not too far from where I live. I wanted to make sure to keep some of the physical activity aspect

I had been keeping up with by going for weekly walks, so I decided to go for a walk down some of the

trails at the park in addition to sitting by the lake with my family.

Comments on Activity:

The visit to the park went about how I expected and was a nice reprieve during a bit of a stressful time

at my preceptorship. I walked back through some of the trails at Agua Caliente park and tried to follow

the same mindfulness practices I had been implementing the previous weeks with my neighborhood

walks. A few interesting things of note I encountered on my walks were some turtles on some logs in

the lake as well as some interesting signs about some of the wildlife and plants at the park that I took the

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 time to read instead of skipping them like I sometimes have in the past.

Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

Wow this sounds like such a fun time. I have never heard of this park but will have to check it out in the

next week or so. I can imagine being near the lake was a very nice change of scenery from the never-

ending desert that we are used to seeing every day. I also think it is always nice to switch up activities

so that we don’t get bored of routine. Also, so cool to see the turtles, such fun reptiles. Thanks again for

sharing!

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

For week 6 I went back to my 3 45-minute walks, and I continued making note to myself to pay

attention to mindfulness and to take note of at least 3 things in my environment to help keep my mind

more focused on the present during my walks. I decided to go ahead and bring my binoculars with me

this week and try and pay a little more attention to the birds I noticed during my walk this week. My

father is a professional field guide for birdwatchers, so I have a bit of experience in this area. I also

brought my mini-field guide booklet to help me identify some of the birds I couldn’t remember.

Comments on Activity:

I was once again successful in completing all my walks this week but with everything going on in

school it was a bit challenging to get too into the birdwatching aspect since it took me significantly

more brainpower to try and identify all the birds I saw. It was also significantly easier to start present

through when I had a very clear objective to stay focused on during my walk. I have wanted to get more

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 into birdwatching for a long time actually and I hope that some point in the future I can make

birdwatching at least once a week a regular habit, even once every two weeks or so would be great.

Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

That is such a great idea to add the birdwatching. I remember you talking about your dad’s birdwatching

job in the past and think that is so unique and awesome. There are so many birds in Arizona that I

believe you could gain lots of knowledge if you were to eventually gain more experience in this area. I

am sure that it is hard to stay consistent with it right now, but with graduation nearing, I am sure you

will be able to get into bird-watching more in the near future. Excited to see what you have for next

week!

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

For week 7 I stuck with my 3 45-minute walk plan that has been working great for me that past 6 weeks.

I decided to again bring my binoculars with me for at least one of my three walks this week and try to

pick up where I left off with my birdwatching goals. I came into the week with the goal of doing

birdwatching for only one of the days and using the other two days to try and relax a bit more during my

walks and let my mind rest a bit to start the day. I continued to focus on being present during my walks

with some mindfulness.

Comments on Activity:

I was once again successful in completing all my walks this week, which I noted this week has been the

case all my week so far which is something I am quite proud of. I expected to have some difficulty

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 getting myself outside to do these walks for my self-care project, and although it has been challenging

some days it is a reward to have been able to complete it successfully. I also noted at the end of this

week that I was getting less tired after my walks and that I likely have improved my physical fitness

some over the course of this project.

Buddy Check-In Comments: (Note Key Comments from Conversation)

I am so impressed at your ability to stay consistent throughout this self-care journal assignment.

Through all the chaoticness that comes with nursing school, you remained determined to complete your

goal so you should indeed feel proud. Also great to hear the improvements to your fitness level. One of

my favorite things about completing long-term goals is to see all the accomplishments you make that

you weren't expecting to accomplish prior to starting the intervention. It has been a pleasure to be a part

of this experience and I hope you finish strong for your last week and I hope you continue this journey

even after this journal ends. Great work all around!

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time):

For week 8 my dad is back in town again and since it’s a bit of a busy week for me I wanted to try and

get my outdoor time in with a different activity this week. I asked my dad, and we made plans to go to

Lakeside Park for a few hours during one of the mornings this week when we were both available. My

dad and I will sometimes go out together for some birdwatching and that was the plan for this week. I

expected to get outdoors for probably three hours or so.

Comments on Activity:

It was a lot of fun to get out and see my dad again and we successfully spent three or so hours at

Lakeside Park during the early morning hours. At this time of year, the weather is starting to cool down

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 and being by the water helps some with the temperature as well. It was very refreshing to get up in the

cooler morning weather and be by the water and I very especially rejuvenated after the morning at the

lakeside. I was able to practice mindfulness by staying focused on the sounds and movement I saw

while looking for birds. It was fun seeing some vermillion flycatchers at the park, bright red birds often

mistake for cardinals and some of the more brightly colored species in Tucson.

Reflection on Panopto presentation and 8-week intervention:

What did these activities teach you?

This activity was valuable in giving me experience with implementing self-care strategies into my daily

life. Previously I had always had a sense that spending more time outdoors would be good for me, but I

never had the self-discipline to follow through and keep to a schedule with going outdoors. I found that

this experience was very beneficial and was significant in helping get me more motivated to start my

days, especially when I spent my time outdoors in the mornings. I also enjoyed spending some time

birdwatching and going outdoors with my family. I plan to continue to implement this intervention

going forward into my future career.

Have you noticed any changes in your life since you began this intervention?

I did notice an improvement in my mood and productivity during the days when I went on walks. This

was especially true for me on the days when I got out early in the morning and went on a 45-minute-

long walk. I came back home feeling rejuvenated and more motivated to start the day. I also felt that

doing this was much better at giving me a clear mindset throughout the day than on days when I started

my morning by browsing the internet or other electronic media. I also gained some physical fitness from

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 consistent walking and noticed a gradual improvement in my fitness over the weeks as I continued with

my weekly walks.

Will you do anything differently now? Please explain.

Going forward into the rest of school and my career after school I will definitely make sure to a lot time

to spend outdoors. The outdoors has always been an important aspect of life to me since I was a kid and

spent time outdoors with my family. After this experience I learned firsthand just how important it can

be to my mental and physical health as well. When I start working full time as a nurse, I will plan to go

on walks on at least 2 or 3 mornings per week as I have during this self-care journal to help get the

benefits I experienced here.

Comments/suggestions:

Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with these statements:

Following an evidence-based recommendation to reduce burnout was valuable to me.

Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree

5 4 3 2 1

This 8-week intervention will help me implement preventative strategies for burnout in my career.

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 Strongly Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly

Agree Disagree

5 4 3 2 1

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