• Fresh Views

    When Life Happens: 5 Tips to Help You Get Back on Track

    July 19, 2023
    Hiking path in Crete, Greece

    Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment. ~ Oprah Winfrey

    When we began 2023 we decided to “go back to the basics” and revisit some solution-focused tools and skills while we focused on our own strengths and set personal goals. Now that we are half-way through the year, we wanted to look back and check-in on our progress. To do this, we’ve created a “Summer Self-Care” series; short and simple ideas to build upon these existing tools and to help focus on strengths in a solution-focused way. 

    In today’s installment we focus on how to get back on track after facing a “twist” in the road.

    Back in January, Deb’s New Year’s solution was focused on sleep and developing a healthy bedtime routine. My goal in 2023 was to be more intentional each evening, by taking small steps to develop new healthy sleep habits. The first step was to use the “sleep schedule” in Apple Health to set a bedtime with a “reminder” an hour before, stopping TV, phone and computer screens and focusing on relaxing, reading, and other quiet and peaceful activities. While I started out motivated, the reality of work and family life seemed to intrude and I was staying up late again. I was off track and needed some motivation to get back to my new routine. I never owned a Kindle before and wondered if it might help me stick to my routine if I could travel easier with reading material. With the simple addition of the Kindle, I had new motivation for my routine and I was looking forward to my reading. I am now back on track, going to bed on-time (most nights!) and getting up early to walk before work and the heat of a Sacramento summer day. I’m not 100% successful, but I’m okay with that. If we recall the words by Winston Churchill, “Perfection is the enemy of progress.”

    Here are 5 tips to help you get back on track:

    1. Remember your why. Take a minute to remind yourself why you wanted to set your goal in the first place. What were you trying to achieve? Take the opportunity to review your purpose and be intentional as you revisit your plans.
    1. Don’t dwell on the past. Solution-focused principles help an individual focus on the future and how to do more of what’s working. We don’t look backward. It sounds simple, but we can’t change the past, so let’s not waste our mental energy on things we do not have control over.
    1. Use your VIPs. Sometimes we do best when we have a close friend or family member help us be accountable.  Simply sharing goals out loud with another individual can help us stay focused on our goals. In a solution-focused approach we engage with the VIPs (very important people) in our lives to support us in our journey. 
    1. Journal your thoughts and feelings.  While journaling typically means putting pen to paper, sometimes just talking to yourself and verbally addressing your goals, obstacles and challenges may be helpful. Always focusing on what’s going well and how you can do more of that.
    1. Be compassionate towards yourself. Affirming self-talk, which we’ve written about here,  is important as a general practice, but even more so during times of encountering a “twist” in the road. Greet your inner critic with compassion, even if it may be challenging. After all, you’re only human. 

    We are living in a fast paced world, with competing demands on our time. Sometimes we need to just do our best and focus on the now, and hopefully we’ll be ready to move forward and get back on the best path for us.

    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 and Instagram @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.

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  • Fresh Views

    Live a better life through reflection and focus on what you can control

    April 26, 2023

    If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward. – Martin Luther King Jr.

    As we launched into 2023, a personal goal for us both has been to focus more on the positive in our lives and do more of what’s working for us (core principles of a solution-focused approach to life). The above quote from Martin Luther King drives home the point that we have to keep moving forward. So, how do we each know if we’re better today compared to 2 years ago? Or even 4 months ago? We don’t… unless we’re keeping track…and that’s one way journaling has helped bring improvement in our lives. As part of our daily journaling, we take a moment to record at least 1-2 specific things we are grateful for in the day and a daily affirmation. We grow through reflection. So 4 months into this journaling journey, we decided to step back and see what we have learned – and share some of our learnings with you. Today’s blog is a little longer than usual. Thanks for reading and we hope you find it insightful.

    TAMI’S LEARNINGS

    Be present and be intentional

    Hey, this is Tami writing. At the start of his journaling journey I had 2 personal goals over this year: 1) To practice being more present in the moment and what it has to bring and 2) To be intentional. I am in no way where I want to be, but I’m making progress!

    Tami’s Big 6 Observations

    1. Consistency is important. A few days off track because life happens and it’s easy to lose focus on what’s good. Consistency in journaling helps me maintain focus on the positive.
    2. Work-life balance improves my happiness. I am happier when I leave work on time. The days that I get home just a half hour earlier makes a big difference.
    3. Nature brings joy. These gifts of nature have included a dusting of snow sparkling on roof tops on my drive to work. Sunshine and longer days. A blooming redbud tree and fragrant yellow daffodils in the backyard.
    4. Flexibility in my schedule reduces my stress. The rare opportunity to work from home for even 2 hours, rather than in the office, made a difference in my stress on those days.
    5. I feel calmer when I get the difficult things done early in the day.
    6. Pause and put my “problems” in perspective. When I get overwhelmed with life, I need to pause and remind myself of the people in my life that are dealing with many more challenges than me. That helps put my problems in perspective.

    5 things I expressed gratitude for:

    • When my sweet daughter-in-law dropped by homemade pad thai and a fun book for me to read
    • Cleaning out 3 drawers and dropping off a donation bag
    • Coming home from work to see the neighborhood kitty has stopped by for a catnap on our back porch sofa
    • Laughing with friends at the end of a long day.
    • An unexpected call from my son just to say “hi”

    2 impactful daily affirmations I’ve used:

    • I can choose to be happy
    • I CAN do this. I have no need for fear.

    DEB’S LEARNINGS

    This is Deb writing now. Like the graphic image in this blog, in 2023 I want to focus on things that I have control over in my life and spend less time thinking about or worrying over the things I can’t control. Based on those 6 categories in the image, here are some examples of what I’ve been doing and thinking about so far this year.

    Deb’s Big 6 Observations

    1. My boundaries. I have been focused on setting boundaries at both work and home so I can focus on things that are important to me and my family.  Sometimes that has meant canceling a trip when life gets too busy and other times, simply knowing I can say “no”.
    2. My thoughts and actions.  I tend to think that I have to be busy and productive all of the time….that down time is wasting time.  I travel a lot for work and sometimes I’m just tired…..I’ve allowed myself to spend a whole day in my PJs and watch some of my favorite shows or listen to a great audiobook and enjoy doing something that does not appear to be productive (but it really is!).
    3. The goals I set. I’ve been following our solution-focused goal setting approach by trying to do more of what works, and leaning in to what those situations are. I am more of a night owl but I noticed that when I go to bed earlier it’s much easier for me to wake up feeling refreshed. So I started to wake up at 5 am every weekday morning so I’ll be tired by 10 pm and be able to fall asleep. It’s hard to do when traveling, so this is still a work in progress.
    4. What I give my energy to. I have always talked about “bucket list” items, but this year I created an actual list and started to check things off. I love to travel, so travel locations are a big part of my list….I’ll be checking off quite a few later this spring. My daughter and I splurged and saw Adelle in Las Vegas (they’ll never be a show better than that!). I saw the California Poppy SuperBloom just last week. My list has both  big and small things. I want to imprint as many images and memories as possible.
    5. How I speak to myself. When I used to commute to work I would use my drive home at the end of the day as an opportunity to actually speak to myself and assess what went well, what could have gone better. I focused on how I could improve and also what I was proud of. Now that I work at home, I’m not doing that anymore. I’ve been using my journal as a way to start this habit again.
    6. How I handle challenges. Generating solutions, as you know, is a solution-focused habit. I’ve been trying to focus on how to make changes to move in the direction I want to go instead of “fixing” the problem. This is not always easy, but it’s the best way I’ve found to deal with challenging situations. 

    5 things I expressed gratitude for:

    My favorite tool and daily ritual when home is “feeding” the Gratitude Bird! Even if it’s small, saying those words and putting a pebble in the bird’s mouth makes me smile. Some of the things I’ve been grateful for are simple and some are big:

    • Sitting in front of a fireplace
    • Having my cat on my lap during a work meeting
    • My son moving back to the west coast from Indiana
    • A bright blue sky
    • My future daughter-in-law and how happy she makes my son.

    My most  impactful daily affirmation:

    • I can choose to be healthy.

    Let us know if some of our learnings resonate with you and spur topics for discussion within your professional practice.

    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.

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  • Fresh Views

    Discover the Magic in New Year’s “Solutions”

    January 18, 2023
    Memories from a magical trip we took to Scotland and Inveraray Castle

    “The magic in new beginnings is truly the most powerful of them all.”

    ~ Josiyah Martin

    There’s some “magic” at the beginning of a new year! Looking ahead with anticipation to possibilities, opportunities and a fresh vision for the future. And that’s what we’re all about here at A Fresh POV! A new year creates opportunities for renewal and growth. We believe in using the start of the year to focus on strengths and create New Year’s “solutions” (as opposed to resolutions). This popular blog we wrote in 2020 shared that one way to identify solutions is to focus on things that have gone well in the past, and pinpoint how you can do more of that (rather than trying to change).

    Along those lines, Adam Grant, author and professor of psychology at the Wharton School of Business, shared in a recent interview, “You already have the knowledge you need to improve your life.” He discussed that instead of being passive, we need to step outside our comfort zone and challenge ourselves. Wow! A great affirmation of the work we’ve been sharing in relation to a solution-focused paradigm.

    If you’ve followed our blog, you’re aware that in a solution-focused approach, there are many basic tools and skills that can be incorporated to support the development of strengths and progress forward. We encourage people living with diabetes, diabetes care and education specialists, and other clinicians to try out these skills that lead to recognizing and celebrating individual strengths. If you are a clinician, additionally embracing the role as a “Think Partner” who walks alongside their client as they grow and learn is key.

    Join us in this new year as we go back to the basics and revisit some of these tools and skills, as well as share a variety of new tools. We’ll work through the development of strengths together. We believe that in all we do we need to have a sense of purpose, and that purpose will lead to happiness. Our personal goals must be meaningful to us and we hope sharing these goals may benefit others along the way.

    So… as we launch into 2023 we’re further taking our own advice! We’ve been reflecting on our strengths and what has gone well for us in the past. Here are our first steps in the new year as we focus on solutions. (Who doesn’t like a solution after all?)

    Deb’s New Year’s solution. Hey, this is Deb writing! My New Year’s solution is focused on sleep and developing a healthy bedtime routine. Rest and sleep are way more powerful in healing the mind and body than we give it credit for. I tend to be a night owl – the evening just seems to “happen” and is not planned. I’ve reflected that in periods in the past where I had a more routine bedtime, I would awake at about the same time each morning and feel more energized. So, my goal in 2023 is to be more intentional each evening. I’m taking small steps to develop new healthy habits. The first step was to use the “sleep schedule” in Apple Health to set a bedtime and a “reminder” an hour before. So far, stopping all screens and focusing on relaxing, reading, and other quiet and peaceful activities has created a much better routine. I am now noticing that I wake before my alarm and have more energy. 

    Tami’s New Year’s solution. And hey, this is Tami writing!  A few weeks ago I ran across a  message that really struck me: 1% effort always beats 0% effort. That made me stop and think. In reflection, I have found success in the past in taking small steps toward a goal (when big steps seem overwhelming). A recent example, in preparation for holiday guests. After a full day at work, the very thought of readying the house for guests felt quite overwhelming and not something I could do. However, I found that I COULD tackle one room each day. That builds on one of our tenets in solution-focused practice which is to do more of what works. That strategy worked for me. (And the house was festive and welcoming when guests arrived!) So in reflecting on renewal in the new year…I’m choosing to embrace and build on this principle that’s worked for me before. 1% effort always beats 0% effort. I intend to quit talking myself into what I can’t fit in, and do what I CAN do, with the energy and focus I  DO have. Early thinking…I CAN acknowledge 3 things I’m grateful for  each day. I CAN use my elliptical for 5 or 10 minutes, when longer doesn’t seem possible at the time. You get my focus. Little wins pave the way for bigger wins. I’m looking forward to seeing what this 1% effort yields!

    You won’t want to miss out on our personal journey over this next year as we focus on developing our own strengths, building some new healthy habits, and sharing how we’re evolving in the process! And, we are hoping to imprint some magical moments in 2023 and wish the same for you!

    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.

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  • Fresh Views

    Transform Primary Care Encounters: Do Things Differently in 2022

    January 26, 2022

    Doing things differently leads to something exceptional. – unknown

    Watching the sun set at Wise Villa Winery, Lincoln, California and thinking of new opportunities for 2022

    With the start of the new year, one of our goals is to share the basic tenets of a solution-focused approach and how to incorporate these techniques into a brief primary care visit. We’ve had several primary care providers encourage us to share more on this…so here we go launching a series to slowly guide the evolution of practice! Follow our blog so you don’t miss out on practical guidance and tips to transform primary care encounters. (And if you work in a setting other than primary care, you’ll still want to follow because many of the tips can be applied to other practice settings.)

    Why do we embrace a solution-focused approach?

    Consider this…the traditional medical model of care is “problem-focused” – meaning you need to identify the “cause” to “fix the problem”. However, when faced with a life-long chronic condition (such as diabetes) that requires changes in health behaviors, “fixing a problem” is not so simple. One can quickly feel a sense of failure, feeling at fault where they’ve made “ bad decisions”, or some other negative feeling. 

    In our experience, it is common for those living with type 2 diabetes (T2D) to not want to reveal their health condition because of negativity towards T2D in the press, in the community, as well as from the medical field. Blame and shame are rampant. It is hard to be positive and move forward when viewing your whole life through this negative lens. This is where incorporating a solution-focused approach can be a game changer for both the clinician and the person living with diabetes. The whole conversation is “flipped” from a negative to a positive, helping to identify strengths and solutions instead of rehashing all of life’s issues that are not going well.

    What is a solution-focused approach to care and education?

    A solution-focused approach has its beginnings in counseling psychology, but has made inroads in a number of fields, and we are focusing on application to life with diabetes.  

    Here are 7 key tenets of this approach:

    1. Ask questions.  In a solution-focused approach asking eliciting questions is the key to uncovering solutions and guiding the individual. These questions help the individual realize that solutions are possible and help them see their desired future state.
    2. The client is the expert. Key to this approach is first recognizing the individual is a person that lives with their chronic condition on their own and manages their daily life, so they are not a “patient” in this model. They know what they need and understand their condition and how it impacts their greater life. We recognize they are the center of the team and we value their input. Read more about experts here.
    3. If something works, do more of it. The premise here is that if you do “more” of what is going well, then in general you will have less time and opportunity to engage in what is not working well. Helping the individual recognize their strengths and successes builds confidence needed to manage a complex condition. It can be as simple as opening the visit with the question, “What do you feel like has been going well with your diabetes?”
    4. Focus on exceptions.  Exceptions are times when the problem “might” have occurred but didn’t. This could be something small and often overlooked, but when you can highlight these opportunities you can then focus on solutions that are in front of you. You can read blogs we’ve written about exceptions here.
    5. Small changes move you forward.  The goal is to help the client take small steps to move their goals forward and each small step can lead to more success.
    6. Clients already possess the resources they need for change.  Most people are aware of what works for them and have the ability to identify solutions. We can help people to recognize these resources and help them to develop resiliency to manage their condition.
    7. Language matters. We know and evidence shows that the language we use in healthcare is associated with health outcomes. When people are blamed and shamed for their health condition they are less likely to see their healthcare team and less likely to talk with their care team when they are not meeting health goals. The use of person-first, strength-based language in a solution-focused approach is critical to develop a therapeutic relationship with clients.

    We hope you will see that this approach can help both clinicians and people with diabetes to collaborate in managing diabetes.

    Join us for our series on incorporating a solution-focused approach when managing T2D in the primary care setting. We’ll share how you can incorporate these tenets into a brief visit and how you can build your solution-focused tool-kit over time. Our goal is to start slow and share small, achievable, bite-size practice changes you can implement over time. 

    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 and Instagram @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.

    Read More