Just a Nurse on a Mission

I started Restoring Nurses after spending more than 2 decades as a nurse and seeing how poorly most of us take care of ourselves, not just physically, but in so many other ways. As I worked to reach other nurses and inspire them to take better care of themselves, I kinda struggled. My mission was good. My heart in that mission was pure and my belief in it was strong. Still, I struggled.

Am I an imposter?

Just last night I lay in bed struggling to sleep. There were a number of different things keeping me from sleeping.

One was the fact that I really did want to help other nurses take better care of themselves. I love nursing and I love nurses. It has been what I have committed my entire adult life too. It genuinely hurts me to see the things that are going on in our profession right now. It also hurts me to watch nurses give so passionately to everyone else and fail to give themselves the same care. Even worse, many feel they don’t even deserve that care.

I also legitimately didn’t feel well. I tossed and turned through the night trying to get into a position where I could sleep, to no avail. I finally realized I missed my blood pressure medicine yesterday, and I can’t say for certain that I took it the day before. How ironic that the “self-care” guy couldn’t sleep due to not only needing BP meds but failing to take them.

Another thing was a struggle with “imposter syndrome”. If you are not familiar with this I found this definition online, “a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a ‘fraud'”. Yep, that about sums it up. The whole blood pressure medicine thing didn’t help.

Here’s the truth, I’m not an expert in self-care. I’m learning, just like you. Over and over again throughout the night, I struggled with anxiety related to this. I’ve not really put myself out there as an expert, yet I kinda felt like I was asking people to consider me as such. Thus the “fear of being exposed as a fraud”. I literally lost sleep over this last night.

Then it hit me

Around 4:00 this morning, I had given up on sleep. I sat in the recliner in the living room reading on my Kindle. As I did I realized that this self-care thing is a journey. Far from being an expert, I’m just a regular guy trying to figure out how to take care of myself and wanted to share what I learn with other nurses.

THAT’S IT!!

“My name is Matt and I’m a nurse on a mission to learn how to take better care of myself and determined to help other nurses do the same.”

This hit me like a ton of bricks. As this truth washed over me it actually wash away the anxiety that I had struggled with all night. I wasn’t trying to be an expert. I was just a regular guy on a journey to take better care of myself and, along the way, to lead others nurses on a similar journey.

I may not be your guy

So, if you are looking for an expert, then I may not be your guy. If, however, you are looking for a regular nurse, like yourself, who just wants to learn how to take better care of himself, then I am your guy.

If you’re looking for someone who always has all the answers, I may not be your guy. However, if you are looking for someone who shares your same struggles and is DETERMINED to find the answers, then I am your guy.

I make no claim of being an expert. Rather, I’m trying to learn all this stuff with you. What I promise you it to connect with those who are experts in each of the 5 Domains of Self-Care, to squeeze as much wisdom as possible out of them, to share that wisdom with you, and help you apply it in your life.

Let’s do this!

If you’re ready to start a journey towards taking better care of yourself, join me. Here are a few ways you can do that:

• Download the free Ebook “The 5 Domains of Self-Care”. In this book, you will learn about the 5 areas where I am striving to care for myself better and to learn all I can about how to do it.
• Join the Facebook group: This is a private Facebook group where we can safely share all of our struggles with self-care. I also go live once or twice a week to share updates on my own journey, some of the things I have learned, and tips for how you can incorporate them into your life.
• Follow me on TikTok: I regularly share updates on my self-care journey, tips from what I’m learning, and even some funny stuff just for fun.
• Join the Restoring Nurses Community: This is the best way to get the absolute most out of this journey. The community includes:
  • Courses: I’m building a growing library of courses developed from what I learn through the different experts I connect with along the way.
  • Community: A members-only community area. This provides another level of security and safety beyond what the Facebook group can provide.
  • Coaching: This is an opportunity for you and me to work together to build a plan specific for you. It also comes with an open line of communication between us which allows you to ask questions directly to me and for me to provide accountability to help you reach your goals.