Last week, we talked about new technology that contributes to neuroprotective practices in the NICU. This week I want to talk about the one brain we get to carry around for life.
There is so much going on in the world right now. It’s important to pay attention, learn, not put our heads in the sand, advocate, stay healthy, do our part to keep others healthy, be open-minded, and cultivate empathy. To do so, we also need to practice radical self-care, or we’ll burn out and step away from this healthcare world we’ve chosen.
You are experts in modifying the environment of care to optimize neonatal neurodevelopment. What would happen if we also practiced modifying our own environments for our own neuroprotection? We know the ripple effects of sensory overload better than most people on the planet because, in addition to our educational backgrounds, we see it unfold before our eyes and beneath our hands in the NICU. But we don’t always personally live from that place.
No one can tell you what radical self-care means for you. However, we cannot deny how our brains work – how the quality of input reflects the quality of output and so much more. The quote below is just one reminder of that.
There is much work to be done, but it cannot be done on an empty tank. You get to choose what you reinforce in your one precious mind, which is deeply connected to your health and well-being, the way you see the world, and the effect you have on others.
Risk positivity.