Appendix B NURS 478 Wellness Journal

Your Name: _Nicole Baginski_________

Select an evidence-based recommendation to follow for 8 weeks:

Sleep at least 7 hours per night before and after a work or school day
Practice mindfulness for at least 10 minutes everyday
Complete at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, such as
biking under 9 mph, dancing, jogging, or playing tennis; or complete 60 minutes of
vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week, such as running, kickboxing, or jumping rope
Attend one professionally led yoga class for one hour or longer per week Complete

weekly journal entries:

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time): I already do
an hour of yoga 5-6 days a week, but do not regularly implement meditation into my practice besides
1
shavasana. Thus, I transitioned into meditating by listening to 10 minutes of a meditation playlist on
Spotify before I began yoga. I practiced yoga 5 times during this week so meditated 5 times this
week as well.
Comments on activity: I am no stranger to quieting my mind and connecting my breath to my bodys
movement. However, for me it is more difficult to breath in deeply and clear my mind when my body
is still.

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time): I continued to
practice meditation for 10 minutes with the supplementation of a Spotify meditation playlist before
2 doing yoga. This occurred 6 times during the week.

Comments on activity: I slowly became accustomed to staying still although it was still fairly
difficult. Not moving my body and wasting time seemed to feel like a waste of my time since yoga
already was phenomenal for my mental health.

Week Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time): Due to time
constraints, I was only able to practice yoga 3 times this week so I had to incorporate meditation to
3 other parts of my day. One day I meditated on a study break, another day I meditated while in a
waiting room. I meditated also once before bed. I meditated 6 times total this week for about 10
minutes each day.

Comments on activity: Deep exhales naturally curved my spine and during inhales it was difficult to
remember to stretch my spine up again, resulting in a slouching position occasionally. This made me
preoccupied with my alignment when I should have tried to let these thoughts go.
Wk 3

Week 4 Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time): I meditated
for 10 minutes each day for 7 days before yoga.

Comments on activity: I re-incorporated music into my meditation practice because it allowed my

mind to focus on it when my mind floated to topics unrelated to meditation. I still think it is
considered meditation even if my mind is not concentrated on nothing.

Week 5 Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time): I meditated
for 10 minutes each day for 6 days, 4 times before yoga, and twice before bed.

Comments on activity: I prefer meditating lying down in bed rather than sitting up. It allows me to
relax more and not constantly worry about the curvature of my spine. I fell asleep almost instantly
on the nights where I meditated right before sleep listening to some indie folk rock.

Week 6 Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time): I meditated
for 10 minutes each day for 7 days, 5 times before yoga and twice before bed.

Comments on activity: I started lying down during meditation before yoga as I enjoyed it so much
more. It became more of a relaxing experience, especially if I took a spinal twist or put my legs in
a butterfly position.

Week 7 Description of intervention implemented this week (include frequency/length of time): I meditated
for 10 minutes each day for 4 days before yoga, for 10 minutes each day for 2 days before bed,
and for 30 minutes one day listening to Dermot Kennedys new album.
Wk 7 Comments on activity: My favorite day of meditation involved laying down in bed, listening to a
new favorite artists new album. His music is beautiful and it was wonderful to listen to every
single word and melody without interruption or disruption.

Week 8 Reflection on Panopto presentation and 8-week intervention:

What did these activities teach you?

These activities taught me that formal meditation, sitting up straight trying to empty the mind and
let thoughts come and go, is not my preferred way of supporting my mental health. I felt much
more relaxed and focused when I meditated lying down, focusing on the music I was listening to
or the tension being released from my spine during a twist. I learned that I need to focus on
something specific to really feel the benefits of meditation.

Have you noticed any changes in your life since you began this intervention?
Since implementing this intervention, I feel more at liberty to just sit or to just lay and do literally
nothing. It was wonderful finding a way to relax without Netflix in the comfort of my own home.
I often feel like I need to hit 2 birds with 1 stone, such as with yoga or walking for miles, but this
intervention made me feel more comfortable relaxing when I am unable to do yoga or to walk,
like when I was waiting for an extended period of time in a waiting room. Time didnt feel
wasted. Despite doing nothing, it felt like it was being put to good use.

Will you do anything differently now? Please explain.

I am going to meditate before bed when I am feeling particularly anxious. I am also going to give
myself the liberty to just lie down and listen to music without feeling guilty about it.

Comments/suggestions:
Perhaps include different options for interventions. Sleeping well, exercising regularly, doing
yoga, and meditating are all things many people already do. It seems like if you do one, you likely
do several of the others. Self-care begets more self-care and perhaps more unique methods need to
be explored.
Please rate how strongly you agree or disagree with these statements:
Following an evidence-based recommendation to reduce burnout was valuable to me.
Strongly Strongly
Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Disagree

1 2 3 4 5

This 8-week intervention will help me implement preventative strategies for burnout in my
career.
Strongly Strongly
Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Disagree

1 2 3 4 5

This Panopto presentation titled Nurse Burnout: What this is and how you can minimize it in
your careers effectively taught me how I can reduce and address nurse burnout in my career.
Strongly Strongly
Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Disagree

1 2 3 4 5

Completing the Big Five Personality Test was helpful for exploring my risk for nurse
burnout.
Strongly Strongly
Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Disagree
1 2 3 4 5