Tiny Bites of Wagaliciousness

What have you done for yourself today? Do you have something you do for yourself every morning, like maybe meditate for 15 minutes or read something inspirational or journal for a few minutes? You are worth making an effort for, don’t you think? And PS – the only correct answer to that question is “yes!” When you take care of yourself everything else feels easier. If you don’t already do it, start...

Do you “what if” yourself? The weird thing about “what if” is that it doesn’t do anything except make you confused, regretful and if you skipped lunch and are regretting it now, maybe a little bit hungry. When you “what if” over something you’ve already decided and acted upon, you’re re-living the past inside your head. You have no power in the past – there’s nothing you can do now that will chang...

How do you feel when you get up in the morning? Some people are rarin’ to go – some as slow as a slug until the coffee kicks in. Full disclosure - I'm that second one! If you’re that way too, guess what? You get to choose which way your day will go. As you’re waiting for the coffee to get ready, spend a few minutes in meditation or journaling or both – you’ll set yourself up for success...

Have you ever heard of box breathing? It’s a controlled way of breathing with specific patterns, and there are a bunch of different patterns. A study published in the International Journal of Psychophysiology suggests that two minutes of 5-2-7 breathing a day will help you make better decisions. Breathe in for a count of 5, hold for a count of 2, exhale for a count of 7. Two minutes of that a day...

Do you sometimes say something you wish you hadn’t said? Words are like arrows – once they’re out, they’re gone and you can’t take them back. Whether you do it as soon as the words are out or do it later when you’re calmer, it’ll make you feel better if you apologize for saying words that might have hurt someone’s feelings. If other people heard what you said, try to apologize when those other peo...

Do you sometimes feel like, no matter what you do, that you’re not making a very big difference in the world? Trust me, you’re wrong about that – here’s what’s really going on. Our strengths and talents feel very natural and organic to us, so we take them for granted. It’s easy for me to distill brain research into concepts most people can easily grasp, and it’s easy for you to visit with a patien...

Do you wish you had more courage? The more days you live, the more different experiences you have, the more courage you’ll develop. Part of courage is the willingness to try again, the willingness to learn and the willingness to say you’re sorry if your actions hurt someone else. It takes a lot of courage to be authentic, open and caring – and since you are the definition of a caring person, you’r...

How do you feel when something goes wrong? When you make a mistake do you kick yourself for failing or give yourself the grace of knowing that you did the best you could do with the information you had, and now you have more information? I know sometimes lives are at stake when something goes wrong in your hospital and that adds extra pressure. When you remember that you did the best you could wit...

Do you eat enough food each day? My dogs are sure there's no such thing as “enough food!” Your brain needs over 300 calories a day just to run your body – more if you want it to do things like make decisions, sing and dance or spay that cat that was dropped off this morning. If you skip breakfast and skimp on lunch, you’re asking your brain to do the impossible – sustain your body while making com...

Are you having one of those days where it feels like an avalanche of badness is falling on you? Maybe your day has included stubbing your toe, dripping toothpaste on your last clean scrub top, being late for your first appointment and having your groomer and receptionist arguing and expecting you to referee. It’s easy to let all those things combine into one big stress ball – stop! Let go of the t...

Are you surrounded by strong people or weak ones? A great way to discover the answer is to hear how they talk to others. Strong people offer uplifting comments, offer help in a non-condescending way and talk well about their colleagues even when they’re not around. Weak people gossip, tattle-tale and belittle their co-workers. If you’re the leader, it’s up to you to help the weak people grow stron...

News flash – you’re not perfect. I know you want to be and try to be but you’re not. No one is perfect. When you make a mistake, instead of beating yourself up about it, try this – look at your hands and say to yourself – “oh, look…I’m human!!” Part of being human is to learn and grow, and the only way to learn and grow is to make mistakes. So when you make a mistake, make light of it and move on,...

Are you constantly telling yourself you can’t do something or you’re not something you think you need to be, like smarter or sweeter or something-er? Add one word - yet. Adding that one word can remind you that we’re all a work in progress and we have the time and talent to become whatever we want to be. Yet – three little letters that make a powerful difference in how you view yourself. Want more...

Is there someone on your team you wish was different?  Think about how tough it is to make changes to yourself – how are this year’s New Year’s resolutions doing? If you can’t make yourself behave differently, imagine how tough it’ll be to make someone else change? If you’re their leader you can help them grow and maybe you can inspire change in them. That only happens if they want to make th...

How do you respond when someone criticizes you or wants to argue? It’s really easy to get defensive or to argue – instead, memorize these words and use them as needed – “thank you for your input – I’ll consider it.” You have acknowledged that you heard them and have NOT agreed to what they’re saying, just that you’ll consider it. You might consider it garbage, but hey, you still considered it! Wan...

You're the first to know, and the first to benefit, if you choose to subscribe! The Mind, Body, Soul Sessions podcast is live - a brand new way to create wellbeing and success with a comfy chair, an ear or two and 15 minutes to participate. Here's what you can expect in the weekly episodes: Mind - a relaxing time to just focus on you as you're lead through a problem/solution for issues you may fac...

Do you value groupthink on your hospital team or are you open to dissenters? While it’s tempting to wish for a team that’s always on the same page, people don’t do their best work that way. First, you know how tough it is to get two people to agree on everything – how can you expect your entire team to agree all the time? Instead, be open to differing ideas and points of view. When your team trust...

Are you running on empty? Not enough sleep, that is. Decades of research can’t be wrong – people who are sleep deprived make poor decisions, and you don’t want to do that, right? Create a going-to-bed ritual. I stop touching my phone an hour before bedtime, use a white noise machine while I sleep and play 30 minutes of meditative music at a low volume as I fall asleep. Steal my ritual or create on...

Did you know that a goal is just an excuse to grow and learn?  What’s really happening when you’re reaching for a goal is that you’re stretching your knowledge and creativity and belief in yourself, and that’s all good! So go ahead – set a goal. Just remember it’s the journey to the goal that really lights your fire, so enjoy every step along the way. Want More?   Click here   for a...

Do you have a game on your phone that you like to play? There’s a connection to playing games where you have to move your finger and make quick decisions as you play and making better decisions in real life. Give yourself permission to play now and then – actually, give yourself permission to play a game on your phone for about 10 minutes a day. Sharpen those decision-making skills while you have...

Have you ever heard that saying, “go big or go home?” We say it about sporting events a lot, and it’s good advice in your life, too. Many girl humans are raised to be delicate and feminine and ladylike – bah! Be those when and if you want to be, and be other things too. Have a big, audacious goal and go for it. Have big, loud fun and invite everyone around you to be part of it. Give yourself permi...

When something is hard, do you give up or do you let go? Those may sound like the same things but there’s a vast difference. When you give up you usually feel defeated and deflated – you’ve given it your best and you’ve been bested. That’s not a powerful or successful way to feel. Instead, try letting go – say things to yourself like “things have worked out before and this probably will, too” and...

Do you ever feel like a situation is hopeless? That’s a bad way to feel, isn’t it? If you’re feeling stuck in a hopeless situation, it helps to remember that you’re not the only one expected to make it all better. You’re surrounded by people who can and will pitch in, and like magic, the hopeless situation can morph into a success, a better outcome or just a valuable learning opportunity. Things a...

Is there a song with lyrics that inspire you? I love "Follow Your Arrow" by Kacey Musgraves so much I even named a dog after her! Was there ever a time in your life where you realized that you couldn’t possibly be what everyone wanted you to be? This person wanted you to be one way, another person wanted you to be another way, and so on? Because you’re a caring person it’s easy to try to be what o...

Are you feeling frumpy today? Maybe you’re having a bad hair day? Or maybe you feel like you’ve added a few pounds or like the scrub color you’re wearing washes you out. Here’s something to try – give yourself a compliment. Make it something you can believe, something you know is true about you – got it? Good – now go find a mirror and look yourself in the eyes as you give yourself that compliment...