Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results (July Newsletter)
Atomic Habits (Book Review): You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.
Success as a doula business owner is certainly related to our skills, including both doula support skills AND business skills. Equally important is our mindset and the personal habits that enable us to get stuff done. Atomic Habits, by James Clear, provides “an easy and proven way to build good habits and break bad ones.” The core idea is that small changes can yield big results over time.
My son owns a personal strength training business. His first client weighed over 400 pounds when he started training. A year later, he had lost a life-saving 100 pounds. The only change he made in his first month at the gym (besides showing up twice a week) was to drink more water. That’s it. No weight loss program. Just drink more water. And then he slowly built more good habits on top of that one.
As a goal-setter, the book shook up my paradigm (always a good thing) with the following summary of why we fail to achieve our goals: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” If you have felt stuck in movement toward your goals, Atomic Habits might be the perfect stimulus to get you moving. If you could add one new habit to fuel the success of your business, what would it be? Can you make it systematic?
Doulas are Trauma Prevention.
Are you familiar with the concept of “trauma informed care”? Now being embraced by some health care providers, the approach acknowledges the prevalence of trauma and is based on three principles:
- Safety/trust. Ask clients (patients) “What will it take for you to feel safe (e.g., at your birth, caring for your dying loved one at home)?”
- Choice/collaboration. Promote informed informed consent based on knowledge of benefits, risks, and alternatives to recommended tests, procedures, and treatments.
- Empowerment. Ensure clients (patients) understand their choices and are encouraged and supported to make the choices that are right for them.
Signs of a trauma response include: fight, flight, and freeze. The proverbial “deer in the headlights” wide-eyed expression. At times, we will be witnesses to a past trauma being triggered in the moment and, as doulas, we can step in to provide needed support. But our true specialty is trauma prevention because trust, choice, and client empowerment are at the heart of what it means to be a doula. Here are some great resources:
- Stepping Stones, by Ellie Atherton. Stories from a hospice nurse that demonstrate precisely how she builds trust with her clients.
- Integrating Trauma-Informed Care into Maternity Care Practice, by Mickey Sperlich and Julia Seng.
- When Survivors Give Birth, by Penny Simkin and Phyllis Klaus.
- Fostering Agency in Times of Transition (free webinar) with Tamara MacIntyre.
From passion to profit: How to serve others AND make your living doing doula work
Lifespan Doulas offers a number of blogs and free webinars on doula business topics, including:
- How to market your doula business
- How to create a client contract
- Forming an end-of-life doula collective
- Setting fees as an end-of-life doula
- Top networking tips for end-of-life doulas
- Doulas in hospice: A successful business model
- SEO 101 for doulas
- Should doulas volunteer their services?
- Is mentoring available for doulas?
These webinars will get your brain churning! Just jump in on any topic that intrigues you.
Birth & Postpartum Doula News & Resources
What is the cost of formula feeding? According to lactation expert Barbara Robertson, “the cost of formula feeding is high. By nursing, you save money, health, emotional well being, and the earth.”
Microplastics have been found in every human placenta tested in a recent study leaving researchers concerned about potential health impacts on the developing fetus.
End-of-Life Doula News & Resources
2024 Death Designer Report. In order to help you better understand and visualize the forces at play in the rapidly evolving deathcare space, these folks conducted a survey to understand who is represented in deathcare and what their needs are.
Lavender Harvest Festival
In Milan, Michigan, July 13 from 8am-4pm. Stroll through 10,000+ mature lavender plants in peak bloom. Directions and information.
- Fresh U-PICK Lavender (purple & white)
- Fresh & Dried Lavender Bundles
- Potted Lavender Plants
- Lavender Lemonade
- 40+ Local artisans (vintage, jewelry, home decor, boutiques, etc.)
- Food Trucks
- Petting Farm & Riding Ponies
- Our farm’s bath & body and lavender-infused products
Did you know that lavender is one of the best first-aid remedies that nature provides? It is praised for its value in healing skin ailments and relieving the pain of burns. It’s also known to have a relaxing effect on the nervous system and is one of the components of the recommended Postpartum Herbal Healing Bath.
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