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Time, energy are superpowers for health care professionals
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ORLANDO, Fla. — “Being a superhero is simply an enhanced version of us. It is something we have an opportunity pursue each day,” D.J. Eagle Bear Vanas said here. However, he reminded the audience of the Rheumatology Nurses Society Annual Conference that superheroes in any form are not invincible.
“Being a superhero is making a conscious decision to use your talents for good,” Vanas said. “When we start putting on our clothes for our day, it’s show time.”
Vanas said to succeed everyone, including rheumatology health care professionals, needs the right environment, time to grow and self-care. Time is the most precious resource people have, Vanas said, and often they do not use it in the right way.
“Because it is the most precious thing we have, it is the most important thing we can give,” he said.
However, Vanas said people must be “authentically present in that moment ... and give that time willing[ly]” or they ruin the moment.
“How we use time on a daily basis defines every aspect of our lives,” he said. “It defines our health, our fulfillment, our career performance [and] our relationships [are] based on where that times goes. If we never make a decision on where time should go, we doom ourselves to chaos.” He recommended taking inventory of where one’s time goes.
According to Vanas, the second superpower is energy. While time and energy are superpowers for health care professionals, to be one’s best, he said people need 7 hours to 8 hours of sleep per night to recharge themselves.
If people do not get enough rest, “we are dividing and conquering ourselves before the battle has even begun,” Vanas said. He highlighted that there are parasitic forces in life (negative habits, people, lack of self-care), but these can be thwarted by regular, good sleep.
For individuals in service, such as health care professionals, self-care is a tough sell, Vanas said.
“[Self-care] is so critical,” he said. “It is not for lack of intention that we come up short on delivery, it is lack of self-care.”
“Even Superman needed recharge time ... Take care. Your people need you. You need you,” Vanas said. – by Joan-Marie Stiglich, ELS
Reference:
Vanas DJ. Discovering the superhero in you. Presented at: Rheumatology Nurses Society Annual Conference; Aug. 9-12, 2017; Orlando, Fla.
Disclosure: Vanas is the author of many self-care books, including The Tiny Warrior: A Path to Personal Discovery and Achievement.
Perspective
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Carrie Beach, BSN, RN
D.J. Eagle Bear Vanas delivered an exceptional and inspirational speech that empowered all superheroes in attendance. The Rheumatology Nurses Society Annual Conference focused on the importance of self-wellness as health care providers. Vanas was quick to validate that this group most often lacks the ability to recognize its needs. I think we are trying to live up to the role of “superhero,” but Vanas reminded us that we cannot be superheroes without two important superpowers – time and energy. Without managing time and preserving energy as rheumatology nurses, we cannot be expected to be superheroes to our patients.
As a rheumatology nurse and a mom of two young girls, achieving family and work balance is my most difficult challenge. I think the biggest takeaway for me from Vanas is that it’s not only okay, but necessary, to take time to recharge my batteries and focus on my own well-being.
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