2 occasions we self-sabotage as nurse practitioners

self-sabotage as nurse practitioners

What is self-sabotage as nurse practitioners?

Self-sabotage as nurse practitioners includes the negative thoughts and behaviors that destroy our progress towards living our best lives. Self-sabotage can be intentional or unintentional. It is related to inner feelings of “not being good enough, never living up to our perfectionist standards, or feelings of imposter syndrome.”

Self-sabotage as nurse practitioners can cause us to destroy our previous and future successes. Nurse practitioners miss out on a lot of opportunities and possibilities when we give into our negative feelings. This article discusses a couple ways we may self-sabotage as nurse practitioners without realizing it!

Two occasions we self-sabotage as nurse practitioners.

When times get hard.

Nurse practitioners tend to self-sabotage our success when things get hard. It is human nature to avoid pain. It is our “flight or fight” response. No one likes to go through hard times. Therefore, when we start to feel a little discomfort, we self-sabotage.

For example, how many of us nurse practitioners implemented a new habit change to improve our charting? Maybe we made a goal of charting right after the patient encounter to help save time and STOP charting at home. Nurse practitioners know it is tough to implement this habit.

Making this habit change as a nurse practitioner worked well for about a week, until one day things got hard. Maybe you had a patient that needed more time and attention. Maybe your electronic health record (EHR) crashed and you had to do paper charting. Maybe you were up all night with a sick kid and low on mental/physical energy.

When things got tough, we gave up on our new habit change. We slid back into our old habits and created self-sabotage as nurse practitioners.

Afraid of our own accomplishments.

When we actually achieve a goal, our minds test us. We will think of all the negative comments and feelings of unworthiness. “It was just luck. It could have been better. Other people accomplish so much more.” We self-sabotage our success because we are afraid it wasn’t real.

For example, how many nurse practitioners have implemented healthy diet and exercise. You changed your habits and were adherent for several months. Maybe you lost 10 pounds and were feeling so good about yourself. You actually saw the achievements- losing 10 pounds and were feeling good!

But then, one day, something happens and you completely self-sabotage your healthy lifestyle. Maybe it was a trigger, a reminder from the past, a negative comment, something that made you scared because you had actually become successful. Subconsciously, you began to think negative thoughts and ultimately sabotaged your success. Instead of counting to eat a well balanced diet and exercise, you completely fall off the wagon and lose all your progress.

Self-sabotage as a nurse practitioner is inevitable.

It is our human nature to have these limiting beliefs meant to “protect us.” The good news is, we are in control of our thoughts and actions. By understanding your tendencies or triggers of self-sabotage, we can better avoid the negative behaviors associated with it. We can choose to change the thought process and avoid the fears of discomfort and fears of accomplishments.

Read this article for more information on 5 ways to avoid self-sabotage.

Comment below and let me know how you self-sabotage!

Erica D the NP is a family nurse practitioner and burnout coach. Erica created The Burned-out Nurse Practitioner to help overwhelmed APRNs create work-life balance, overcome nurse practitioner burnout, and advocate for themselves. The Burned-out Nurse Practitioner offers online courses, coaching, and support. Learn more at www.burnedoutnp.com

For time management and charting tips, check out The Nurse Practitioner Charting School– The one stop for all documentation resources created specifically for nurse practitioners. Learn more at www.npchartingschool.com

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