Kelly Arora, PhD
Karen Percival, Community Hospice & Palliative Medicine (CHPM) Coordinator
Being fully present with patients and their families in their suffering is at the heart of palliative care. Setting an intention to be present is one way to help develop this key practice.
In the following paragraphs, Karen Percival shares how she sets intentions for the day. In addition to her work on the CHPM team, Karen is a Certified Fitness Instructor and owner of the Bella Bead Shoppe.
Placing intention throughout your day, even in the smallest of ways, creates a significant impact throughout your life.
Health benefits linked to intention setting include increased focus, reduced stress and anxiety, improved self-discipline, better self-esteem, increased self-confidence, higher demonstrations of gratitude, feelings of belonging, and enhanced personal growth. I find intention setting to be a simple, yet profound practice, that can easily be implemented in daily life. Rather than cite research that proves my point I want to invite you to give it a try.
Step One: Find your place.
Set aside a few minutes in a peaceful place. We are all busy, I get it if you think Step One might never happen. Try setting your alarm 5 minutes earlier, it usually solves the problem. My quiet place is on my foam roller in front of my bedroom window.
Step Two: Find your focus.
This is the opportunity to allow guidance, perspective, reflection and purpose to enter your day. I ask myself/ the Universe/God/etc.… “What do I want today to bring?”
Feel free to rephrase this question, for example, “What would I like to focus on today?” or “What do I want to enter my life today?”
Step Three: Resonate with your intention.
Take a few deep breaths and wait to see what comes. The more I practice this, the quicker it comes. You will know when it hits. Usually, it’s a word or a phrase. Today mine was patience. I sit with it for a minute and take a few more breaths to resonate with it.
When your intention resonates, you feel motivated to bring it to life through your thoughts, words, and actions. Your intentions set the tone for your day, and through daily practice, the tone of your life.