Story Time with a Quote

Today I want to reflect on a quote that speaks to me in a special way.

“You can’t poor from an empty cup.” - Norm Kelly

This quote has meant a lot to me in the past few months specifically because of Covid. I am a person who will go over and beyond to help people. However, sometimes I need time to regroup for myself but will try to help regardless. I have had to be mindful of this as a healthcare worker during the pandemic. While the hospital(s) was always short staffed I did kneed to take time to rest and meet my own needs first.

The other day I was helping to validate concerns that a patient had voiced to me. She said that she felt like a burden to staff because she has been hospitalized for so long. She was worried that there were other people who were sicker and needed the help more than she does. I asked her to clarify this statement more. I gathered that my patient was anxious because she felt that she had no purpose in life if not helping others.

I was able to provide reassurance to my patient that she was doing what we asked in order to get better. I told her that we needed to take care of her before she could effectively help others and that I was happy to be able to assist.

Bottom line, I’m no good to others if I am burnt out.