Staying in The Moment, Keeping Your Perspective
What are some smart practices for patients in care in a busy hospital setting? Take a look and try these next time you find yourself or a loved one admitted.
- Your MANTRA should become – Nothing to do, Nowhere to go – during your stay.
- Calm the self: stress makes you believe everything has to happen right now. Adopt the pace of nature. Be the still pond. The secret of patients is patience.
- Avoid caffeine.
- Stay positive: avoid going to the worst case scenario. Many things could happen.
- Find new ways to think about the “problem”. Consider different perspectives.
- Don’t ask for “What if’s?”. That only escalates fear…
- Ask Adaptive Action questions >>
- What do you know now that is new?
- What difference will that make to my health?
- So what does that mean? Don’t settle for complicated language.
- So what do we understand now that we did not understand before?
- Now what can we do next?
- Ask Adaptive Action questions >>
- Participate fully in your healing
- Ask for help
- Get a hand massage and/or ask for a foot massage
- Get some living plants to look at. Smell the roses.
- Increase your capacity for self observation, concentration and not knowing.
- What are your patterns?
- What patterns do you want to augment for your health?
- What patterns do you want to diminish to improve your health?
- Experiment bit by bit.
- Observe five objects near you.
- Observe five sounds near you.
- Use your sense of smell.
- Do a periodic body scan to check all the parts of you.
- Do diaphragmatic breathing. Slow intake, hold…. slow exhale.
- Identify whatever stressor is bothering you. Remember that this too shall pass
- Step away and decompress. ( This cannot be said often enough)
- Remain in the present moment. Do not get ahead of the situation. Many unexpected things could happen.
- Identify things you are grateful for.
- Find the humour in all things.
- Use a worry item – distract yourself with a small stone in your hand, for instance
- Try the Meditation Practices suggested
- MEDITATION practice for a hospital stay
- Slow down: Do not react to everything immediately
- Close your eyes – think of a calm place
- Stabilize- try being still, calm, becoming less reactive
- Remember the best answers come to a relaxed mind
- Empty your mind to make room for answers
- Soften the hard or defensive areas in your body and heart.
- Don’t let the world make you hard.
- Don’t let pain make you hate.
- Don’t let bitterness steal your sweetness.
Two other MEDITATION practices
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- Practice walking meditation –
- step in harmony with a slow breath count:
- inhale one, two, three, count
- exhale one two three four count
- inhale…
- Practice walking meditation –
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- Practice invisible, wise and selfless meditation: Tonglen:
- Meditate on your breath – consider strong back, soft front as a posture
- Practice compassion. Be aware of all suffering people
- Visualize – Breathe in darkness — breathe out light, repeat…
- Practice invisible, wise and selfless meditation: Tonglen:
Asking for Help
If you feel you are not being heard, not being treated fairly, not getting the care you need, if you need someone to advocate on your behalf – ask for an independent patient advocate.