We guide healthcare professionals in a solution-focused approach so clients can embrace possibilities, opportunities, and a fresh vision for the future.
Deb and Tami on a Chicago rooftop having a good laugh!
Our series “Foster a Happy, Healthy Life” began in July, and it seems fitting to bring this series and 2024 to a close with emphasis on the power of friendships, love and laughter. Throughout this series we have shared many simple, yet powerful, solution-focused tenets that we hope you can pass along to patients/clients to take care of themselves, as well as incorporate in your own life.
Research suggests that having healthy, meaningful relationships is the greatest predictor of life satisfaction. Enjoy a few blogs we have written along the way on friendship, humor and laughter.
And it wouldn’t be the holidays without gatherings and special foods, so revisit our post on 8 tried and true strategies for eating healthy through the holidays.
Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season from us here at A Fresh POV for You!
We’ll be back in the new year with more fresh points of view to guide and support healthcare professionals in implementing a solution-focused approach to practice so clients can embrace possibilities, opportunities, and a fresh vision for the future.
We welcome anyone interested in our approach to Subscribe to our blog and we’ll email you when a new post is published!
If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients.
Follow us on LinkedIn or our blog @AFreshPOVforYou
Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.
Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.
Tami recently took a couple of days off to decompress and disconnected with a visit to The Silos at Magnolia in Waco, Texas (fans of the show Fixer Upper or Magnolia Table will know this view)
Living with diabetes can often feel overwhelming, adding layers of stress to everyday life. Balancing health management with the demands of work, family, and personal goals can be challenging. Chronic stress can feel inescapable. It can affect our minds, bodies, performance, and relationships. Chronic stress ultimately leaves us feeling less than our best. Thus, it’s essential to find effective ways to decompress, reduce stress, and maintain a healthy state of mind.
Research suggests that when we intentionally look for ways to decompress and reduce stress in our environments, it can positively impact our daily lives. In our last blog Decompression 1.0 we shared 10 ways to decompress gleaned from Tami’s colleagues when asked “What do you like to do to decompress after a stressful day? “
Today we share 7 more ideas to help you and your patients/clients unwind, decompress, reclaim some peace, and foster a happy, healthy life.
Deep rhythmic breathing. Find a quiet spot and sit comfortably, Take a slow deep breath in through your nose for 4 seconds. Hold that breath for 7 seconds. Exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds. You may have heard of this breathing pattern as the 4-7-8 breathing technique. This deep rhythmic breathing is relaxing.
Practice mindfulness. If deep breathing makes sense to you, maybe you can go even deeper and focus your thoughts while breathing. If this is a new practice for you, start with just a few minutes each day – focusing on your breathing and observing your thoughts without judgment. Apps like Headspace or Calm can guide you through meditation techniques. Tami has been enjoying Headspace over this past year. Practicing mindfulness throughout your day—by being present in each moment—can help reduce anxiety and enhance your emotional resilience. One simple mindfulness practice could be savoring your food by eating mindfully, allowing you to enjoy and appreciate it more.
Talk it out. It may seem obvious, but talking about your feelings or experiences can be incredibly beneficial. Sharing your thoughts with a trusted friend, family member, or a therapist can provide relief and help you process emotions. Sometimes, just verbalizing what you’re going through can lighten the emotional load, help decompress, and bring clarity to the situation.
Add some physical activity. While it may not always sound appealing, physical activity is one of the most effective ways to reduce stress. Whether it’s a brisk walk, a dance class, or yoga, moving your body releases endorphins—natural mood lifters. Ideally , aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week to experience the benefits. However, even a 10 minute break can change your thinking and help you decompress.
During a recent work trip to Fort Worth, TX, Deb took a long walk in the Historic Stockyards to decompress between work meetings and an important interview. Seeing new sights while being physically active reinvigorated her for the afternoon.
5. Reduce stress in your environment. Create calming spaces. Calming spaces are great tools for supporting mental and emotional well-being in the workplace. These dedicated spaces provide opportunities to slow down, recharge and decompress. They can decrease stress and improve focus. One study found that calming spaces at work can reduce stress by 60% after just 15 minutes.
6. Take a day off. Sometimes you just need a break. Taking a day off from your regular responsibilities can be a great way to recharge. Use this time for self-care activities that you enjoy, whether it’s a spa day, spending time outside, a movie marathon, or exploring a new hobby. Giving yourself permission to step away can rejuvenate your mind and body.
7. Disconnect. In our hyper-connected world, constant notifications and messages can heighten stress levels. Set boundaries for technology use, and take breaks from social media and devices. Designate time to disconnect from screens and reconnect with your surroundings, loved ones, or your own thoughts. (Yes, you may even take a break from reading our blog). This digital detox can create space for relaxation and mindfulness.
Managing diabetes brings its own set of challenges, thus incorporating decompression strategies can help create a more balanced and fulfilling life. By decompressing you may be able to benefit by seeing things with a new perspective or reframe the situation. Stress management is a personal journey, and finding what works for you may take time. Prioritize self-care and make these practices a regular part of your routine, so that you can cultivate a lifestyle that supports your well-being and health. Your journey toward stress reduction and better health is worthwhile, and every step counts!
We hope that these decompression ideas are beneficial to you, as well as your patients/clients with diabetes!
We welcome anyone interested in our approach to Subscribe to our blog and we’ll email you when a new post is published!
If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients.
Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou
Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.
Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.
Tami decompressing in the beauty of nature recently in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Deb decompressing with an amazing view in Mallorca, Spain
In fostering a happy, healthy life – as we’re exploring in this 6-post series – decompression plays a critical role. By definition, decompression means to relieve or reduce pressure; to calm down and relax. Decompression is impactful not only in life in general, but particularly for those living with diabetes. Finding ways to decompress takes stress levels and stress hormones down, helping to prevent undesired stress-related glucose excursions.
Tami recently led a decompression activity with colleagues at work and asked them afterward anonymously to share What do you like to do to decompress after a stressful day?
Read and sip on a “fancy” coffee, even if it’s decaf
Have dinner with a friend
Relax on the patio with a nice glass of wine
Watch a funny show/movie
Take a nap
Could one of these ideas help you to decompress in stressful times? Try one or two and see how your body responds. Identify other options that might help you. How about sharing these with your patients/clients with diabetes? Identifying and implementing decompression tactics a few times a week would be a great short term goal to explore. Evaluate how glucose responds during and after these times. Decompression techniques might even help with diabetes distress. Let us know what works for you!
In our next post Decompression 2.0 we’ll share even more ideas to decompress and foster a happy, healthy life.
We welcome anyone interested in our approach to Subscribe to our blog and we’ll email you when a new post is published!
If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients.
Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou
Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.
Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.
Taking a few moments of self-care at sunset over Lake Michigan
Say yes to yourself.
– The Kind Initiative
Life can be stressful. Downright difficult at times – sometimes more days than not. And while we can’t remove all the sources of stress in life, we can respond in healthy and positive ways and care for ourselves. And likewise, encourage our patients/clients to care for themselves. In our last blog we addressed self-compassion, putting oneself first, and becoming your own VIP. Building on that, self-compassion is a critical aspect of self-care.
We know that self-care is important, but how often do we allow ourselves to practice it?
Say YES to yourself!
In a general sense, self-care includes activities that promote physical and emotional health and wellness. Self-care can reduce stress, make you feel happier, and prevent illness.Last summer we shared several posts on self care that you may want to go back and check out.
Today we are bringing back 16 simple ideas of how to practice self-care, including ways we personally are practicing self-care.
Sit and be still alone with your thoughts for 10-15 minutes. Tami practiced this in the above photo during a recent trip to Lake Michigan. While her days were filled with activity and fun road trips, taking a pause at the end of the day to just be still and reflect provided her with self-care. And the view was a definite plus!
Journal about how you’re feeling. Learn more about our experience doing so here.
Get out in nature. We’ve written about the benefit of being in nature here and here.
Listen to your favorite music. Deb starts her work day by listening to Kelly Clarkson’s Stronger to get motivated.
Be active in a way that feels good to you.
Organize or rearrange your space. Read our thoughts on bringing order to chaos here.
Spend quality time with friends or family that pour into you. Since Deb travels frequently for work, she tries to add on days before or after to visit her friends and family.
Enjoy a long bath or shower.
Allow yourself to sleep-in. This is a favorite of Tami’s on the weekend. Spending every weekday living “the grind”, she really welcomes this luxury
On the topic of sleep, try sleeping with a weighted blanket. This is another self-care practice of Tami’s. It brings calming, reduces stress and anxiety, and helps promote better sleep.
Let yourself have a good cry (sometimes we just need it). We’ve heard it said that tears are the safety valve to the heart.
Take a break from the news and social media.
Write down 5 things you love about yourself. Post them where you’ll see them.
If you enjoy scents, light a favorite candle or turn on a diffuser with a favorite essential oil. Lavender, rosemary and chamomile are particularly calming.
Write down 5 things you’re grateful for. We share more gratitude practices here and here. Deb and Tami both “feed” a gratitude bird every morning to start the day off with a positive mind.
Have realistic optimism, meaning you confront the situation you may be in, rather than thinking you’re helpless and powerless and avoid it. We’ve shared more thoughts on this here.
Granted, no amount of self-care can completely mitigate all of the struggles that may arise. And everyone’s self-care needs are different. Yet, implementing more self-care and being compassionate with yourself is a process that will be worth it
We welcome anyone interested in our approach to Subscribe to our blog and we’ll email you when a new post is published!
If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients.
Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.
Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.
Self-compassion is simply giving the same kindness to ourselves that we would give to others.
~ Christopher Germer.
Deb and Tami taking care of ourselves in Marseille, France
In solution-focused practice, VIPs are Very Important People (VIP) – those family members, friends, co-workers, or others who are very important in life and mean a lot. And, the most important VIP in your life is YOU! That said, many are their own harshest critic. Do you ever find that you give more grace to others than you give to yourself? How about the patients/clients that you encounter day in and day out – could they benefit from more self-compassion and valuing themselves?
What does it mean to practice self-compassion? Self-compassion means valuing yourself. In considering the diabetes space, we see that many “beat themselves up” – for instance if their blood glucose is above target, or they aren’t meeting the desired Time in Range. Having self-compassion means flipping the paradigm, and providing yourself the same compassion you would show a friend or family member when they are feeling badly or need support. Instead of denying your own feelings, pain and challenges, embrace them and identify ways to turn negative thoughts around. We wrote about something similar when we discussed “Turning Turtle” where we identified that “when the world turns upside down so to speak, an opportunity is presented to gain a fresh point of view. And when a situation may seem challenging, being able to bring forth opportunities for gratitude may need that twist – that upside down view.”
Having self-compassion makes a health difference
We are all on a path towards living a full life, and we all need to accept that we are all human, and that comes with flaws. Having more self-compassion can not only boost happiness and life satisfaction, it brings deeper benefits including self-confidence and body appreciation. And very impactfully, more self-compassion reduces shame, anxiety and stress. For those living with a chronic condition like diabetes, without a doubt associated anxiety and stress are already high..
As a healthcare professional, encourage self-compassion in your patients/clients. Encourage each to put themself first when it comes to focusing on feelings, trying not to judge and criticize personal shortcomings (we all have them), and giving oneself more grace. One simple, yet important opportunity for healthcare professionals is to use strength-based language in their practice. When we use strength-based language, we reduce the stigma, shame and blame individuals often feel when living with diabetes. We can set an example for others to follow.
We shared previously 4 compassion practices for healthcare professionals here. The key to developing compassion in life is to make it a daily practice.
6 phrases to evoke self-compassion
Dr. Kristen Neff, an expert in the area of self-compassion, shares 6 phrases one can say to themself at any time to help evoke self-compassion:
May I be kind to myself
May I give myself the compassion that I need
May I learn to accept myself as I am
May I forgive myself
May I be strong
May I be patient
Let’s take life one day at a time, put our important needs first, and be kind and compassionate to ourselves. Afterall, we are the most important VIP in our lives!
We welcome anyone interested in our approach to Subscribe to our blog and we’ll email you when a new post is published!
If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients.
Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.
Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.
You can’t change your past. But you can let go and start your future.
– Quinn Fabray from Glee
Welcome to our new series, “Foster a Happy, Healthy Life” as we explore some simple yet powerful solution-focused tenets that you can share with patients/clients to fill their tanks and take care of themselves, as well as maybe incorporate in your own life. Trust us, you won’t want to miss out on this series!
It all starts with resilience
We’re kicking off with “It all starts with resilience”. We think about resilience as the ability to “bounce back” after challenging times. It’s having inner strength when life throws you challenges and still being able to hold your head up. Resilience is one of the skills essential for people with diabetes to develop in order to live well with diabetes. And yes, resilience is a skill. Research shows that resilience is a skill that can be developed over time with practice and support.
When we think of resilience and put a face to the word, one person that immediately comes to mind is Simone Biles. Just four years ago she dropped out of the Olympic games due to both physical and emotional challenges. And now here she is, back competing in the Olympics in a little over a week, defying odds. What inspiring resilience she demonstrates!
Having emotional agility can help navigate the twists and turns that diabetes – and life in general – throws out. We shared some about resilience in our Be REAL series here. Cultivating resilience can give the body and brain a boost when needed most!
Today we share 6 ways to boost resilience and strengthen your personalized resilience tool kit.
Take on a challenge (even if it seems daunting) and step outside your comfort zone. Succeeding builds confidence and resilience.
What Simone (and other Olympic athletes along the way) have shown is the power of resilience! Without a doubt we’ll be tuning in to watch the gymnastics and cheer for Simone!
We welcome anyone interested in our approach to Subscribe to our blog and we’ll email you when a new post is published!
If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients.
Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou
Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.
Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.
Beautiful nature trail covered in flowers, Santa Barbara, CA
The physician treats, but nature heals. – Hippocrates
Get into the Great Outdoors
Did you know that June is Great Outdoors Month? This month-long celebration is dedicated to exploring, appreciating and celebrating the diverse landscapes across the United States. In our last blog we closed with encouraging clients/patients to get outside to cultivate zest. Expanding on that, in “blue zones”, which are regions of the world where people have a longer life expectancy and lower rates of chronic disease than average, a big part of lifestyle is getting outside. It’s well-documented that just 20 minutes outside changes the entire biochemistry of the body, and experiencing nature is free!
The EPA (2021) reports that Americans spend an average of 90-94% of their time indoors. We recently learned that the American Medical Association is actually looking at a “nature deficit disorder”. Author Richard Louv, advocate for a nature-rich life, encourages that getting out in nature gives “a booster shot of Vitamin N (nature)” as he calls it. Interestingly in Canada, providers are giving out National Park Pass “prescriptions” to get people outside.
Experiencing the great outdoors brings mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and social benefits. It helps regulate sleep and circadian rhythm, and Vitamin D production. Whether taking a walk, or just taking in the great outdoors, studies show that simply being in nature boosts energy. It also benefits the ADCES self-care behaviors of Healthy Coping and Being Active. Check out our past blog on the benefits of being in nature.
Here are 8 tips to make the most of experiencing the great outdoors:
Practice presence and mindfulness. Be fully present in the moment on purpose.
Keep it simple – just walk outside and sit on the steps.
Find something you enjoy in nature – maybe it’s watching birds.
Take a few more steps to help improve balance and flexibility.
Go outside with someone or a pet – be social.
Dig in the soil, even a flower pot or raised container. It is therapeutic.
Express gratitude for the sights and sounds you experience.
Get back out as often as you can and imprint what you see.
If there are periods where you aren’t able to be outside, bring the outside in! Here are 5 of our favorites:
Surround yourself with plants (real or artificial) and natural materials.
Open the blinds and let in daylight.
Try using a light machine to expose yourself to full spectrum light.
Play nature sounds on a sound machine or YouTube (such as chirping birds, babbling brook, rain, ocean waves).
Experience nature virtually through nature scene videos on YouTube.
We have been experiencing the great outdoors ourselves and thought you would enjoy a peek at some of the scenes that have inspired us recently!
Imprinting views during a coastal hike, Santa Barbara, CAMorning dawning on Valhalla golf course where Tami went to the PGA tournamentThe great outdoors Tami experienced at Saguaro National Park in Tucson, AZ Views in Tami’s back yardLazy days in the vineyards, Santa Ynez, CA
If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients.
Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou
Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.
Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.
Individuals are always stronger when they have their successes and strengths clearly in mind.
~ Don Clifton, founder of CliftonStrengths
The letter “Z” is said to be used in less than 1% of words – the least frequently used letter in the English language. While not planned, it seems fitting that “Z”, the last letter of the alphabet, should close out our last post in the “A to Z series” on solution-focused words to live by and use in practice (find the start of the series here if you missed it). And we’ve identified the perfect “Z” word to pull it all together….
Z is for Zest!
We’re not talking about the zest of a lemon or lime, or Zest soap from back in the day! We’re talking about the zest that signifies an energizing excitement or feeling of energy and joy. Zest is related to physical and psychological wellness. Those with zest are excited to get up in the morning.
Bringing zest to your solution-focused practice can boost a client/patient’s morale, promote personal development, and play a role in just being kind to others. You can also help them realize, cultivate, and activate this strength.
4 ways to bring more zest
1- Adopt a “progress not perfection” mindset. A “progress, not perfection” mindset can help us lean into the realistic and practical, and acknowledge, accept and enjoy things…even if they aren’t perfect. It encourages focus on smaller achievements…instead of focusing solely on the end goal. It allows getting things done in a quality manner without fixating on an ideal outcome that might not necessarily happen (read more here). The feeling of moving ahead and making progress boosts zest.
2 – Switch up your perspective by reframing. One example of reframing is viewing a problem differently by turning it into a challenge, looking at it from different angles, reimagining the situation, and identifying potential solutions. Reframing is a simple and impactful tool to use in taking a solution-focused approach to life with your clients (or in your own life). Learn more about the power of reframing here and here.
3- Make the most of your time. Guilty as charged of often spending too much time scrolling through social media, news outlets, funny cat videos, and life hacks! Do you ever find clients/patients, or yourself, in a similar situation? What if those 2-3 hours a day of mindless scrolling were spent working towards something you are passionate about, building zest! 4- Spend time in nature. Encourage clients/patients to get outside to cultivate zest. Whether taking a walk, or just taking in the great outdoors, studies show that simply being in nature boosts energy. Check out our blog on the benefits of being in nature.
Thanks for coming along in our A to Z journey towards solution-focused thinking. We’ve enjoyed identifying creative ways to re-frame our thinking in our day-to-day lives and our work through this series.
Cultivating zest as a strength creates opportunity for your clients/patients to thrive!
We welcome anyone interested in our approach to Subscribe to our blog and we’ll email you when a new post is published!
If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients.
Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou
Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.
Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.
“Dance like there’s nobody watching, love like you’ll never be hurt, sing like there’s nobody listening, and live like it’s heaven on earth.” ~ William Purkey
Princess Diana, definately had the X-Factor!
In our last post we celebrated that we only had three letters left in the alphabet to complete our A to Z series on solution-focused words to live by and use in practice. After sharing about the “unbothered” mindset for the letter U, we are now down to two letters, X and Z. Today is the letter X, and exploring the “ X-Factor”.
What is the X-Factor?
Have you ever met someone that was so easy to talk to, was truly engaged and interested in you and your discussion, and just genuinely enjoyable to be around? You might say they had a charismatic personality. They are someone you will remember, someone you’d like to spend more time with. Their magnetism may motivate, inspire optimism and hope, and move those around them. They have something that may be hard to describe. They just have “it”…..that “it” is the X-Factor. Princess Diana, pictured above definitely had the X-Factor. And we have several Diabetes Care & Education Specialist colleagues that immediately come to mind when we think of the X-Factor!
While brushing up on the X-Factor we identified some similarities to solution-focused tenets and practices we’ve written about before.
3 areas where we see overlap with an X-Factor personality and solution-focused life/practice:
See “challenges” instead of “problems”.
A key element of a solution-focused life is focusing on Solutions instead of problems. Individuals who have the X-Factor embrace this thinking, and instead of seeing “problems” before them, they see “challenges”. They strive to make the best of what is in front of them and not waste energy on things they have no control over. They can see the world through a different lens and create a Fresh Point of View. If the world seems to have turned upside down, they see an opportunity to change their view, be grateful for the view, and come out on the other side with new solutions. This frame of thinking can be empowering to those around them.
Focus on what’s important.
Those with the X-Factor personality fully embrace NOW. They see the present for what it is. They are able to break big challenges into smaller, digestible steps with focus on the here and now, and what’s important. They leave tomorrow’s challenges to another day.
As we’ve written about before, one way to focus on the important aspects of life is to use Reframing. Reframing is a simple and impactful tool that brings looking at a challenge from different angles, reimagining the situation, and identifying potential solutions. It helps identify “exceptions” (times when things were going well), so one can “do more of that”, instead of focusing on what’s wrong or not working. VIPs (the very important people in life) can be helpful in identifying opportunities for reframing as they know the individual and their habits well.
Another tool to keep focus on what’s important, is “imprinting”. We shared how to imprint in 5 easy steps here. When life is challenging (or just downright hard and painful), turning thoughts back to happy moments and picturesque views is a powerful reminder in the present.
Embrace who you are.
An important characteristic of the X-Factor personality is embracing who you are. Having self-confidence and not caring so much what others think, or desiring their approval. Focusing on strengths, and maybe even embracing humor to not take oneself too seriously.
We hope that our readers now know that when they encounter someone with “it”, they have met an X-Factor! Embrace that X-Factor, learn from them, and appreciate how you feel when you’re around them.
We welcome anyone interested in our approach to Subscribe to our blog and we’ll email you when a new post is published!
If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients.
Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou
Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.
Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.
After waiting in the drive through unbothered, and arriving back home, the coffee cup sleeve fell off the cup and there was this message underneath.
Unbothered people don’t allow their happiness to be determined by the actions of others.
~Unknown
Words are incredibly powerful. Think about it…just one positive or negative word can affect another person’s whole day. It can build someone up, or bring someone down. Through the course of writing our blog, engaging in research, and connecting with the diabetes community, over the past 5 years we have compiled words that align with the tenets of a solution-focused approach to care and education. Words spoken by people with diabetes in surveys, research, and focus groups. Words expressed during Twitter chats. Words written in papers. To that end, a few years back we wrote about the importance of words here. We pondered…How can we draw attention to these words and have them easily flow into conversations between diabetes care and education specialists and our clients? As a step in that direction, we wrote an entire series of blogs focused on some of these key words that inspire solution-focused thinking.
With the beginning of this new year, we decided to take inventory of the solution-focused words that we’ve addressed throughout the life of this blog, comparing them to the alphabet. To our surprise, the only letters missing were letters U, X, and Z. Those of you that know us, know we must finish what we start, and that we love a good challenge! So here we go!
U is for Unbothered
The unbothered mindset is a powerful tool to navigate the challenges or inconveniences (minor or major) of life. It can help bring peace amidst chaos and help face challenges with courage. Let’s be clear – living unbothered is NOT about NOT caring. It’s actually about caring deeply to know what truly matters and letting go of what doesn’t.
Becoming an “unbothered” person can change everything. An unbothered person is one who has learned how to be unbothered by things that bother most people. It’s recognized that living unbothered can foster:
We’ve been putting this solution-focused tenet into practice…
Living unbothered takes consistent practice. And in no way are we perfect at this, but we’re trying: Unbothered by waiting in the self-checkout behind someone with an entire cart of groceries, chatting on the phone with no sense of urgency. Unbothered by bottleneck rush hour traffic in the pouring rain. Unbothered by a friend taking longer to answer a text than we think it should take.
Sure, it could be easy to get wound up about any of those situations. And without a doubt, it’s difficult to be happy when you’re bothered by what’s going on around you, what others think of you, and how you react to it. Living unbothered means there are more important things to worry about. We’ve found that adopting the unbothered lens, means less stress and anxiety – and more peace.
We challenge you this week to Slow down. Be present. Be mindful. Becoming unbothered is a journey, not a destination. Let us know how it’s going.
Drop back by to check out our next two posts and how we tackle letters “X” and “Z”!
We welcome anyone interested in our approach to Subscribe to our blog and we’ll email you when a new post is published!
If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients.
Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou
Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.
Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.
