LIFE BALANCE DURING NURSING SCHOOL??

Hello, Christina here with nursingschoolofsuccess.com and this is awesome because I've got my hubby here. Hey, Matthew. And Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

We are actually broadcasting live to YouTube and Facebook, which is something I've never actually done before. So this is very exciting all around. So Merry Christmas, everybody. Very exciting. I might be talking a little bit quieter than I normally do because our toddler is asleep. Usually when I do a live video, it's usually like four in the afternoon and three or four, and he's already, you know, not. He's up and about and doing stuff. So now he's like totally asleep. So. Christmas recap. I hope that you guys had a great Christmas. Let me know in the comments what you did, what you were up to, how it went, all the cool stuff you got. I don't know, all the cool stuff you gave to people. Got some pretty good things. We read a lot of books, so we give out a lot of books to friends, which is pretty cool.

The little one loves books.

Yes. Our toddler loves books. He's in love with them. Like Biscuit. Biscuit the dog. Anyone familiar with Biscuit the dog? Yeah, he loves Biscuit. So, yeah, it was all around pretty good.

Yeah. Yeah. Pretty busy, but kind of laid back this year.

It was.

Yeah.

Yeah. We hosted Christmas for the first time ever.

Ever.

And it actually went pretty good. I was surprised at actually how smooth everything went with hosting Christmas for the first time. Not that bad.

Yeah, I enjoyed it. It's the first time. Yeah. It was at our house and we had people coming over and it was for Christmas breakfast brunch.

Oh. Which is so much better than dinner because we didn't have to cook like a whole turkey, you know. Oh, my gosh. There's so much less pressure. So what did we do? We did asparagus, an egg bake. Egg bake, Martinelli's. What were we in charge of? We were in charge of asparagus and Martinelli's. We got a sausages and. Yes, we did turkey and chicken sausage, which was, you know, perfect. So we got off super, super easy because we didn't really have to do much. Yeah. My parents brought an egg bag. Your parents brought lumpia.

Yeah.

Which is pretty good. So, yeah, it all worked out. So let me know what were you guys plans? Let me know in the comments. So, yeah, everything went well. I think we're gonna host Christmas in the future. I think every Christmas probably will host now that we're, you know, we have a little one.

It is Easier just waking up and bring him into the other room rather than traveling to either of the in laws or my parents. So, yeah, I think it worked pretty well and it's nice that the parents can come over instead.

Yeah, for sure. We are so blessed to have both sets of parents in town. So we don't have a whole lot of family spread out everywhere. Everyone's kind of local for the most part, with the exception of some one year family. But yeah, we're actually very, very less in that regard. So I hope all your Christmases went so, so well. Yay. So we're New Year, New Year's next. We're starting almost a new term in nursing school. So it is Christmas. So I, I wanted to come on live here today because, well, as I was telling Matthew a couple days ago, I was so surprised last year on Christmas Day when I log into my email, which I probably shouldn't have done log into my email on Christmas day, but like Christmas evening I got so many emails from nursing students, it was crazy. Like, I did not expect that. It kind of blew my mind. So here's what I'm thinking. I'm thinking that you guys had your Christmas breakfast, Christmas brunch, Christmas dinner. And then I was like, all right, Christmas is over, let's get back to work. Which I totally get. I totally get that.

I did not get that at all. But again, I wasn't the best of students in college. So if I'm on break, I'm on break until I have to go back to school. So. But I understand that with nursing school that you guys are definitely back to grindstone.

Yeah. You did not go to nursing school.

Good for you.

You, like went to nursing school vicariously through me.

Yes.

You were the support through nursing school.

Which, that was fun too.

Yeah. Totally different perspectives. So I, like, I, I totally get it. I don't. Because my mind, I have a very, very hard time turning off my brain when I'm real, you know, like, relaxed, trying to relax. I have a very, very, very difficult time relaxing and taking a step back and actually taking a break and taking a vacation. You totally don't. I mean, oh my gosh. Like, I am always on and especially during nursing school, I felt like I had so much even between terms, like, because, you know, you guys, you know what's coming up. Like, I actually just got an email about this from one of our students today, actually just this morning. See, I was checking my email this morning from my students because I love you guys so much. So. Yeah. And she had said, you know, it's med surg next semester. Like, you guys know what classes you have coming up, so it's really just hard to turn off your mind and take a step back because, you know, all the papers, all the care plans, all the clinicals, you know your schedule, you know what you have to do starting in a week, it's very, very hard to chill and forget about it all until it actually happens. So. Man, nursing school's rough. It's a rough life. So we wanted to talk about this today because it's super important and we know. Okay, I know kind of know what you guys are going through. You are not a nurse.

No, no, I am not, but I, I totally understand. Yeah, I. I saw Christina going through nursing at school, and she's a very futurist person too. So really thinking 10 steps ahead, which is great for a lot of things, sometimes it is hard to turn off that thought process. And so what do you do during this holiday season and how do you cope with that? Or. Or how do you use it to your advantage?

Yeah, using it to your advantage. That's so good. Actually. I really like that phrasing because you really can actually. And this is something I'm learning just the more, actually, the more like, we obviously talk and are connected, we share a brain that you need to like, you know, I need to get all that. Your calmness, because I just really like that verbiage because it is. You can really prepare yourself even better, better for the next term in nursing school by actually taking a break. And this is something that I never really believed thought about. I would just, you know, I heard about it, you know, that if you actually sleep, if you actually take care of yourself, if you take time to rest, that you will actually be more productive when you start nursing school again. That it's hard to comprehend that just that idea that, okay, a break is actually better than keep, keep going, keep grinding, keep hustling, and I will push through this, basically. So, yeah, it's actually better to give your. Give your mind a break and then continue even stronger. So.

Yeah, I totally agree with that. And there's. There's a lot of things in life that work that same way too. Like if you just keep pushing, pushing, pushing until you eventually burn out. And that's a lot worse than just taking a little bit of time, kind of backing up a little bit. So, yeah, how to do that effectively too, because obviously there's times to do that and there's times not to, which is kind of what we're talking about.

Today about balance, life balance. So this is why I wanted to talk about this. Today is so life balance. We hear this term balance. And I feel like when I was in nursing school, and even if even now I struggle with it because we're in a culture that tells us all the time that we have to be everything to everybody all the time. Like as a mom, you're supposed to be all things to everyone and still take care of yourself, make sure the kids are fed and diapers changed and everyone's getting good grades in school. I don't know, we're not there yet. And you know, you get fed, you know, I mean, all of these things, you know, we are so, so we're just in a culture that wants us to everything to everybody all the time. And so this idea of balance, when we hear this term balance, what I think about is like, okay, well, am I supposed to like break apart the 24 hours in a day and like I'm gonna sleep for four hours and I'm gonna go to school for four hours, I'm gonna hang out with my kid for four hours and I'm gonna hang out with you for four hours. You know where, like, where does that, is it all supposed to be equal?

So, yeah, that's a common question that I feel like no matter what stage of life you're in, there's always all these things you're trying to juggle. And so what does work life balance mean? Me going to work in the morning? So is it just 8 to 5 and then afternoons not or how does work life balance work that way too?

Yep. I think the best thing that I ever heard and this is what I really wanted to talk about today. I heard this from Dave Ramsey and years and years ago and he was talking about how it's actually not balance life balance, it's actually life seasons. So when you think about life balance, instead of thinking about the word balance, think about seasons. So right now in nursing school, you are on Christmas break. This is a season of rest, it's a season of break for you. Whereas when you go into nursing school again, when you start and kick start back into January, you that is a season of nursing school. You're going to be pounding hard, you're going to be going full speed ahead in nursing school, doing the nursing school grind, writing those care plans, writing those papers, going to clinical, going to class, going to skills lab, doing all the things that is a season. And then you're not going to be spending as much time with your Family, you're not going to be spending as much time with your kids. You're not going to be spending as much time, you know, for yourself, taking, you know, taking care of yourself, exercising, you know, things like that. You know, you are totally focused on nursing school in that season. However, right now on Christmas vacation, you are on vacation. So think of it instead of balance, think of it as seasons. You know, instead of thinking that I'm gonna do, you know, everything's gotta be equal and like all the societal pressure, right, the culture, culture, the, the pressure of the culture telling you that, oh my gosh, you gotta be on everything. I've gotta throw like the best Christmas party or the best birthday parties and I've gotta get straight A's in nursing school. I've gotta get, I don't know, like all the things, right, that everybody, it seems like everybody wants you to do, right? All those expectations. But no, no, no, like take a step back and think of it as seasons rather than balance in life. So this is a season right now on Christmas vacation where you get to take a step back and spend more time with your kids, more time with your spouse, more time with your family. You know, this is a season of rest and recuperation before now. Then you start another season in nursing school, full force, going strong, making those good grades happen in nursing school.

I think that's a, that's a key thing is, yeah, you have a season of rest and then you have a season of full throttle. You know what, we're going to go heads down and work really hard. And really what I like about that is giving yourself the grace. Giving yourself the grace, knowing that, you know what, now is the time to rest. And we've scheduled this time to rest. But when you go back to school now that, that is the time to actually work. And that is a time that, you know what, giving yourself grace and also your family will understand that too. As long as there's that open communication there too that, you know what, right now in the season of school, I might not be able to spend as much time with you, but the quality of time afterwards is going to be so much greater. So it's kind of that trade off that seasons of doing one thing and then doing another thing, but then the quality of time is the there too. So it's sometimes not always quantity, but quality matters as well.

Yeah, for sure. I'm so glad you mentioned that because it is not. Oh my gosh, what a huge amazing point that I'm so glad you brought up because I totally forgot about it. Is it quality over quantity? You guys, I think I just talked about this. In which one? Was it the YouTube video a couple days ago? No. Was it last week? When. If you're spending time with your family. Spend time with your family. Put your phone away. Like, put it on airplane mode. Do you remember which one that was? I don't remember. So you know when you're actually doing something, whether it be spending time with your family, spending time with your kids, spending time studying in nursing school, spending time at clinical. Be there. Like, be there. Don't be thinking about other things and, oh, my gosh, like, both my hands are raised. I am so bad at this. I am the worst at this because I am always thinking. You're laughing at me.

Yeah. We were just talking about this the other day.

Just talking about this. Because I am always, always thinking about something else, and it's very, very difficult for me to shut my brain off. So that's really, like. I totally get it. If you struggle with this, I am right there with you. Like, as I. Both my hands are raised. But it is, like, it's so. It's such a struggle, and I have to constantly remind myself, okay, like, I'm gonna put my. Actually, what did I say? I said, I think that on the weekends, I'm gonna put my phone in, actually, another room. I think I decided to do that because it's like, that bad for me. Like, I cannot have access to my phone or I will be totally on. But actually, this past weekend, it wasn't that bad because I did. I silenced my phone and I kept it in the bedroom. And it actually, it. It didn't. Wasn't that bad. I actually found myself not really thinking about work or things or.

It just takes. It just takes a little practice and some just keeping it on the forefront of your mind because it's very easy to slip into that way of thinking of just, oh, what's urgent? And just need to think about that. So that's the other thing that we can talk about is urgency versus importance. Yeah. Just making sure that you're. You're really doing what's important in your life and what's the. What's the season that you're currently in? So pro tip with leaving your phone out of the room. They're. They're talking about all the tech stuff and all the little blue lights.

Yeah.

Popping up and saying that, you know what? Maybe it is better out of your room.

Yeah. And you've got, like, all. All that. We actually just Talking about this last night, all the technology on your phone, because we actually just got two new phones. We got the new Pixels, and on the Pixels, I don't know. You know more than I do about technology. I'm not very good at that. But there, you know, you can change all the settings on your phone so you're like, email your text message your, you know, like I said in that video, pop it on airplane mode. Like, if you. If you really want to spend quality time studying, if you are ingrained in your textbook, if you are, you know, need really need to write this care plan or write this research paper, you've got eight hours to do it, girlfriend. Pop that cell phone on airplane mode or turn off your settings in your email. So you're not getting emails. You're. Even if you're not getting my emails, that's totally fine. No big deal.

You can make exceptions. Our emails come through. That's fine.

Totally understand. It's for the good of all things. Yeah.

So.

So, you know, just find those ways, those kind of workarounds. So make sure that when you are. When you're studying, when you're needing to focus on things like spending time with your kids, make sure that you're there and you're present and, you know, you're not wasting time. Because basically, I mean, if you're, you know, if you're always like me, if your mind is always somewhere else, like, you're really never having quality time anywhere. It's really like what Matthew said, quality over quantity. So I want to acknowledge Amy. Amy here on Facebook said our Christmas gift from school was 97 drug cards to do, sent in the mail, like snail mail. Your school sent you that in the mail? Oh, Amy, I'm sorry. That's a real bummer. I struggle with balance. I'm starting fourth semester and I'm a wife and a mom of two young kids in school. Awesome. Amy. Hey, Amy. Also, I got some of your comments on Facebook, so thank you so much for that. I know we've been chatting a little bit, so awesome. Thank you so much for being here, Amy.

So.

So, yes, we are streaming live to Facebook and YouTube. We've never done this before, so this is very, very exciting to kind of do both at the same time. So thank you guys so much for being here. Merry Christmas. Yeah, so life balance, I mean, it's tough. Like, Amy, as you know, being a mom, two kids. Like, I've got one, and man, that's hard. Then when we have two, it'll be like, you know, what do they call it? One on one defense? Because I know football. That's football, right? I think it's football.

I don't do sports either. We both do not do sports. And little Daniel is yelling all about football at basketball. Not sure what we're gonna do there.

He really likes his like, yeah, basketballs and footballs. We play around in the house, so. Oh my gosh, you guys. I know you guys struggle with this. I did too. I know. Well, I mean, you in school, but it was fine. You know, it's a different perspective coming.

From my side too. That, yeah, Christina did really struggle at.

This and so bad, so hardcore.

There's just again, it's practice, practice, practice. So you guys have a lot of time to practice this. But yeah, just making sure what's really important. And something else that I was just thinking. It's almost the same concept as batching your work. Batching things together. That's the same idea with balancing and seasons. You're basically batching up rest time. You're batching up all of that time off. So you're, you're in a time of time off right now and Christmas. So batch all of that up. But then when you're back at work, batch all your work up together and kind of go that way too. So it's a different way about thinking about it.

Yeah, for sure. I just really had to retrain my brain and I'm still really, I still really struggle with this. That like, okay, I can actually rest and take a step back and have a break and it actually will prime me for whatever's next coming up, either in school or in work or whatever. So it really is important to have that rest time. And as far as batching goes, personally for me, I know I've written about this a lot, so if you've been here for a while, you may have heard me talk about this already. But when I was in nursing school, one of the best things that I did was actually wake up at 4. Was it like 4, 5am I would literally get up super early because we were actually early birds anyway. We still wake up at 5am, mostly because of Danny, mostly because of the baby. But. But we actually did that before we had, before we had him. So we've always been at our early birds. But I would wake up like really, really early and literally write my whole paper in one day. So if I had like a 20 page paper, I would, I would batch it all together because I knew, I knew you guys, that it would take me like twice as Long. If I had just, you know, kept, Kept, done a little bit every single day, it just would have taken me too long. Like, when I get in that zone and I am in da zone. Is that cool? Do I sound super cool? Like in da zone? That's me. I'm in the zone. Yeah. So I don't know. That was just really, really helpful for me.

Yeah, I think that's a key thing too, is knowing you, knowing your personality too. So that definitely worked well for Christina that she can really, really focus on one thing and heads down and get that done. So really, in learning, what's your best method of learning as well. And really leaning into that too.

Yep, yep. Finding that balance in yourself, knowing yourself, knowing your personality, knowing how you study best. How do you study best? Would that have worked for you?

I don't think it would have worked for me. I am more. I always said that I'm a kinetic learning. So actually moving well. Learning or do you know, since school.

Would have been good for you, I guess sticking needles in people.

Yeah, that's me.

Sticking needles to be.

Well, what you deflating a balloon? I think you're doing it wrong if that's happening. So. Yeah, yeah. More kinetic learner. And I do tend to be a little bit more scatterbrained and do a little bit here and here and here. So as long as more planned. Yeah, as long as you can know what your strategy is and kind of keep track of everything and then use tools and systems. And we'll probably be talking about that in future. Future talks too, but tools and systems. Tools and systems. Automation. So that's why she brought me along, because I'm the techie guy.

Yeah, he's the tools and system guys. What am I? If you're the tools and system guy, what am I? What does that make me?

You're the one that actually gets stuff done. So I plan and you can do.

It, and I do it. Okay. Awesome. I'm the executioner. That's not right.

Okay.

Execution.

I think technically that's right.

I've heard that, though, before, right? It doesn't sound right. Like, okay, can we not go there? Let's like, no, I don't want to be known for that. All right. I want to acknowledge Claudia. I saw. Okay, I see the chat Come there. I think it was Claudia Live chat. There it is. Aha. Claudia. Merry Christmas. Claudia says on YouTube. Merry Christmas. So, yes, you guys, we are streaming to YouTube and Facebook at the same time. Look how fancy we are.

This is cool.

This is. This Is pretty.

This is actually the first time I've ever been on a live, I think. Or second. Yeah, something like that. So I haven't been on live all that often. So, yeah.

Second time.

Second time.

Welcome to Live Video, Matthew.

Thank you, man. Let me know what I'm doing, right or wrong in the comments. Is that how you do it in the comments?

I say. I do. I say in the comments. That's just my thing.

Okay.

Yeah. Yeah. Cool. So, yes. Life, balance, you know, just making sure this, for me was just kind of that. It's kind of the same thing, but in my mind, I needed to think about it in seasons. So instead of thinking it as balance, thinking of it as seasons, because it just. I don't know, for some reason, for me, just that verbiage, maybe just the language shift, really helped me switch my mindset and say, okay, I'm not such a terrible mom, not such a terrible wife, because I'm in nursing school and I'm doing my thing and, you know, I'm becoming an rn. And now that that's over.

Yeah.

I have a life again. You will have a life after nursing school. Promise.

That is true.

So, you know, things do change. So it's seasons, you guys. Seasons. So now you're on vacation from nursing school. Hopefully you've got a couple weeks off. A week or at least two couple weeks off. And so now is a great time to play with your kids, reconnect with your husband. Hello.

Hello. It's been a while.

You know, just have fun. Do the things that you did before you started nursing school. Because, you know, we don't have time for that in nursing school.

Yeah.

So just thinking about it as seasons rather than balance, I think that just really helps me. So.

Yeah, good point. Good points.

Good.

No, I. I really like the idea of seasons as well. Yeah. Balance is always kind of keeping track and being really judicious and judgmental almost on your own time. Like, oh, shoot, I spent an hour at work. Now I need to spend an hour with my kid or else my kid will hate me forever.

It's all, like, guilt, too.

Yes, it's very. It is more guilt. Trippy.

Yeah. That's not cool, guys.

No.

Yeah. Don't. Like. Like Matthew said earlier, like we say, all the stinking time is give yourself grace. I mean, isn't that what Christmas is all about? Grace. Come on, y'. All. Come on. I just use the word y'. All. Yes. I am so cool.

Sorry.

So, you know, give yourself grace. It's okay. It's okay. If you mess up, it's okay. If you, you know, are like me and you constantly have all. All these thoughts about other things, and when you're trying to do something else, you know, trying to focus on one thing and then you're thinking about other things, that's totally fine. Give yourself grace and. And do better next time. But recognize it, you know? Recognize it and do better next time. That's all we could ask for, you.

Know, that's like I said, practice, practice.

Practice, practice, practice, practice. Yeah, that's the game. That's the game of life. That's the game of nursing school. Practice, practice, practice. Cool, you guys. Well, I hope you had a very, very, very Merry Christmas. Thank you so much for everyone that chimed in today. And I'll be doing this more, hopefully.

Yeah, I think so.

If you guys.

Unless you guys don't want me here, then let me know in the comments. In the comments.

Are you making fun of me?

No.

In the comments. Do I, Lulu? Do you like that? In the comments, guys? In the comments. In the comments. All right, you guys. Merry, merry, Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Hope you had a great day with your family, and I hope you have a great rest of your Christmas vacation. Yes, a couple weeks at least. Hopefully a week and a half.

So what next? Next up is New Year's.

Next up is New Year's. We have a great New Year's video coming out on YouTube for you. Yeah, it's gonna be good. Do you know he edits all the videos, so. Yay. Clap for Matthew, because I'm not that talented, so. Couldn't do without you, babe.

Thank you, babe.

Thanks for being here.

Love you.

Love you. All right, you guys take care. Bye. I'm gonna, like, close all.

The.