Authentically Joycelynn

Living Whole in the Kingdom of God

wellness

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Best Self Help Books for Women on Amazon

Best Self Help Books for Women on

Best Self Help Books for Women On Life, Love, & Health

I’m an AVID reader! I love self-help books, so I thought I would share my favorites. So, here is my list of 10 best self help books for women on Amazon and you can find them all on Amazon. Most are available by on Kindle, if you want something instant! (I LOVE to hold a book in my hands, but sometimes I want the book NOW)  The 10 Best Self Help Books for Women on life, health, and nurturing that I’ll be sharing, are my personal favorite and have make a huge impact on my life!

1. Eat, Pray, Love   by Elizabeth Gilbert.  I was given this book for Christmas when it first came out in 2007. This book was instrumental in my life as I was beginning to re-think the path I was walking along in regard to my career and what I really wanted out of life. This is NOT a “how to” book, but rather a simple book sharing the journey of Elizabeth Gilbert. She reached a point in her life where she was questioning her choices in marriage, career, and life in general. Every page was a genuine outpouring of her desire search for meaning and love. I’ve also seen the movie and Julia Roberts did a great job capturing the essence of the book.

2. You Can Heal Your Life  by Louise Hay. A great description from Amazon about this book, “Louise’s key message in this powerful work is: If we are willing to do the mental work, almost anything can be healed. Louise explains how limiting beliefs and ideas are often the cause of illness, and how you can change your thinking…and improve the quality of your life!”  This is a favorite recommendation as a one of my best self help books for women on healing your life.

3. Herbal Healing for Women by Rosemary Gladstar.  I’m an herbalist and aromatherapist, and this book is a great overview of using herbal help to support common issues that is particular for women. I own Healing Streams Wellness Center for women, and this is a reference book I find valuable in that center. I personally have experienced periods of stress and burnout in my nursing career, and this reference has been a great support for me.  Great herbs at Mountain Rose Herbs.

Best Self Help Books for Women on

 

4. Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief   By far, this book gave me a great “ah ha” into understanding my own personal burnout experience. I felt like I was experiencing “adrenal fatigue” which I do know is not a “medically accepted” term at this time. I was experiencing extreme fatigue, exhaustion, and feelings of overwhelm. When I read this book, I cried. FINALLY, I found something that made sense to me and it explained my situation. I created teas and things like “adaptogen balls” that I could use to support and nourish my body.  I use Mountain Rose Herbs  for most of my herb purchases and really love their quality.

5. Mind Over Medicine  by Dr. Lissa Rankin.  I loved this book. This was about a woman’s journey, similar to Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat, Pray, Love, except it’s about a physician, which is great, because since I’m a nurse, I felt I related specifically to her struggle in Western Medicine.  A very moving journey of Dr. Rankin. I found this to be a one of the best self help books for women on life journey.

6. The Wellness Workbook  by John W. Travis, MD was a textbook I used during my training as a Wellness Coach. This book was instrumental in helping me heal during a severe time of burnout in my life. I use it daily as a tool when sharing with others now as a Wellness Coach. This is the one of the best self help books for women on wellness that I know of! Truly one of my favorites!

best self help books for women on

 

7. Healing Your Family History: 5 Steps to Break Free of Destructive Patterns by Rebecca Hintze. I love this book. Let’s be honest. Many of us have “stinkin thinkin” and it can come from destructive thought patterns developed from childhood. I found this book to be very helpful to me personally as I worked through the “why” of my though patterns. I have found this to be one of my favorite self help books for women on working through destructive thought patterns.

8. One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way by Robert Maurer, Phd.  This is a nice little book that can be a life changer. When you learn you don’t have to do it all at once, or take huge impossible steps; you will be amazed at your progress in reaching goals! One of my favorite for sure!

9. Forgiveness: 21 Days to Forgive Everyone for Everything  This was a great book. Bitterness is as the root of so much stress and even physical problems. It’s imperative to explore this subject especially if we want to grow past what may be hindering us.

10. How to Hug a Porcupine: Dealing With Toxic & Difficult to Love Personalities Great book on learning to deal with the difficult people in our lives, and how to set boundaries.

11. Declutter Your Life: Reduce Stress, Increase Productivity, and Enjoy Your Clutter-Free Life  Clutter will destroy our peace! I totally believe this! It’s unreal what clutter does to compromise your peace and even productivity.  This is one of the best self help books for women on how to declutter.

I hope you enjoy my book suggestions for self help books for women! I certainly found them to be life changing.

Be Well!

Joyce
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Got stress?

 

I am reading and seeing many articles about burnout and stress in professional women. I think this area is one that people are aware of but are afraid to talk about. Facing reality can be difficult. When we are honest with where we are, changes may need to be made. We may need to change some habits, or make a change of scenery. Many times burnout comes as a result of a disconnect between where we actually are in life, and where we really want to be.

I have to admit my own struggle in this area. Quite possibly, this is why the area of wellness and balance is so intriguing to me. Have I achieved a total sense of wellness and balance? No I am on a journey. After I wrote the article, My Best Life at 50, I have made changes and although not always consistent changes, I believe I am at least traveling in the same direction.

I had an “aha” moment this week as i was looking back over some of the work shifts I had recently encountered. I had several areas of stress but not necessarily because of work related situations. I had been struggling with symptoms of bronchitis. My body was tired as I had not slept well the previous week. What I want in my life is less stress, and I want to have the reaction of calm when stress wants to take over. What I realized is when I am in what is perceived as stressful situations, my coping mechanisms haven’t taken over as I would have liked. My “aha” moment is  that my coping mechanisms have not become “me”. What do I mean by that? I believe in “breathing” and “guided imagery”, “yoga”, and “being present”. However I haven’t practiced these principles to the point where they are my automatic habit, or “who I am”. These attributes are who I want to be and how I choose to deal with stressful situations.

How do these skill sets become our “breath” or who we are? These come about by practice. Practice when times are controlled. Practice when stress isn’t upon us. It reminds me of soldiers who are trained for combat. They have practice drills. They train and learn strategy. The soldiers aren’t placed in battle until reacting to combat is second nature. Their ability to react becomes their “breath”.

Practicing being present, attention to breathing, yoga exercises, or guided imagery are all great ways to deal with real or perceived stress. I just found some awesome apps for my  iPhone. I have yoga DVD’s and just purchased a yoga ball and mat. Practice makes way for preparation! I will be prepared next time I perceive a stressful situation. What about you?

 

Be Well,

Joyce

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Daybreak Journey

It’s early morning, and instead of sleeping late after working 12 hours shifts, I’m up and my mind is racing. I’m on this journey. Some call it a spiritual journey, an awakening, or just restlessness to get to the meaning of it all. I’m deeply passionate in my relationship with God…but there is more that I’m struggling with. I’m moved by the weight of breaking through my purpose. It feels like I’m giving birth to a new beginning and I’m bursting with this new life inside that HAS to be born.

This restlessness has been relentless for 8 years now. I don’t suppose there is a fast start button to push that instantly gives us the answers. The answer is in the process. The struggle. The questioning. The searching. Yet my own insecurity of not being enough, not having enough education…somewhere in the midst of it I’ve felt like I should be a doctor to have an impact, not a nurse. But here I am…a nurse searching for the deeper way to reach humanity. There has to be more than passing pills and following a doctor’s orders. Those are tasks, yet that is what we’ve been reduced to. Time for human touch it seems, has been set aside in order to meet budget, break even.

Finding no meaning in the “American Dream”… the idea that we need to own, and have and get…what is that about? I’m realizing that I want more and to create more, income and otherwise, but not so I can “have” but so that I can “give more”. Realizing that yes we do need flow of income to create our dreams, but my dreams have become about making an impact and providing tools to set people free from their min dprisons, and from their cycles of self sabotage and fear…Being whole and being well is a foreign concept in America.

3 John 1:2 has become a powerful passage to me. “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as they soul prospereth”. There is that connection and need for all of us to eb whole. Our mind, body, spirit and finances. There is also the issue of healing. People want to be healed, but don’t understand that being WHOLE is a better way. people long to take a pill to be healed of their infirmities, while not realize it ALL fits together. How can a real physical healing take place while there is emptiness in the mind or spirit or soul.

There isn’t always a peer reviewed study for the way an herb is used, or the way prayer manifests healing or how human touch and empathy can touch another and miracles occur. I always step back a bit when I hear a nurse being critical about natural health/healing because there isn’t a “study” to back it up. It actually makes me sad for them…so analytical they can’t believe anything unless a study shows it to be true.

I recently found a book by Lissa Rankin, MD, in which she is a physician who went through a journey, similar to what I’m experiencing now. I’m deeply entrenched in learning of her journey and now the difference she is making in the arena of healing. The more I move forward in the arena of wellness, the more I’m connecting with others who are also on this journey. What has begun in individuals is now becoming a movement.

I’m taking my life back.

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Creating a Genshai Nursing Culture

More and more attention is being brought to the forefront about nurse bullying. This can be peer to peer, doctor to nurse, or patient/family to nurse bullying. Bullying is actually a problem in the nursing world. Many nurses suffer in silence and this can contribute to poor nursing satisfaction scores or poor nursing retention.

The movie, Law of Attraction, discusses bringing attention to what you want and not what you don’t want. Instead of talking about stopping nursing bullying, I’m going to discuss Genshai. Have you ever heard of the word? I hadn’t until this past Christmas when I received a book from a friend titled Aspire. This is a book by Kevin Hall. Kevin has extraordinary insight into words and his book is filled with words that will motivate and change your life.

Genshai is one of those words. Genshai is an ancient word which means you never treat anyone in a manner that would make them feel small, including yourself. I realize this is an idealistic viewpoint that won’t be accepted by all nurses. Some nurses like how it makes them feel to think they are superior and some nurses are just cranky and hate themselves and their job so their discontent is projected onto others.

The movement to start a Genshai culture among nurses will be slow to start. However, like a snowball, this movement in time, will pick up speed and size. Let the culture start with you. Take this idea to your hospital. Buy the book, Aspire. Allow the words to transform how to treat yourself and how you treat others.

My favorite nurse theorist is Dr. Jean Watson. She is the founder of the Watson Caring Science Institute. Dr. Watson developed the Human Caring Theory with 10 Caritas. She also has a Caritas Process to develop helping trusting caring relationships. Take time to explore her website and understand this empowering movement.

My unproven theory on this concept is that if one or two nurses in each hospital could really embrace the Genshai and Caring concepts and introduce them into their facility; then we could in time change the current culture from the bullying environment to one of mutual respect and caring. I’m not naive to believe every nurse is going to embrace these concepts, especially the bully nurses. However, my theory is if enough staff, management, and administration embraced the Genshai and Caring concepts, the bullies would have to get on board and experience an internal change, or their behavior would be so obvious and their behavior would no longer be allowed by management.

I realize management can be part of the problem. With some individuals, even the smallest amount of power brings forth some need to make others feel small. The Genshai concept really addresses these power hungry individuals. There is a difference between requiring employees to do things by the book vs. bullying staff and making them feel small. There are consequences for breaking rules or policies. The consequences can be handed down without emotional bullying attached to it. I remember a manager one time that sent out the most degrading emails to all staff. When addressing a situation as simple as keeping the break rooms clean, there was such a degrading bullying tone as she berated us for a messy break room. Truly, the subject could have been addressed without the degrading tone. She was so over the top with her bully tactics that she was eventually terminated.

What I have outlined is a simple strategy to focus on what we want. We as nurses want an environment where we can pass report on to the next shift nurse without seeing eyes rolled at us because there was something in the continuum of work we weren’t able to get to. We would like to be able to share our pain or concern without fear that a nurse blogger is going to come after us in a social media attack mode.

Like Martin Luther King, I can say “I have a dream”. I have a dream that one day nurses will have a mentally and emotionally safe environment by which to give caring compassionate care. I have a dream that nurses will treat nurses in a way that would not make another person feel small including themselves. The first place to start is with YOU! Don’t treat yourself small. Don’t allow another person to make you feel small. Join me in the movement to start a Genshai environment in the workplace. 

~ Authentically Joycelynn