Geriatrics Nursing and Palliative Care

Biography

Biography: Dr. Elia Gourgouris

Abstract

What is Happiness? Aristotle answered this by saying "Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence" Happiness is a choice!  It is also attractive, healthy, and being connected, but it takes effort.

That being said, what inhibits our happiness, and how can mental health and nursing practitioners find happiness and fulfillment in their professions, when far too many suffer from profession burn-out, due to the high stress nature of their jobs.  In my keynote, I will address practical tools that are applicable to both them and their patients.  Several factors have a direct impact on our level of life satisfaction and fulfillment, including fear (of change, fear of success, and fear of failure), comparisons, selfishness, the burden of perfectionism, lack of forgiveness (and self-forgiveness), our inner critic, and toxic relationships.  When these mental and emotional roadblocks are removed, our inner joy will be freed from constraints and returned to our awareness.

The 7 Paths to Lasting Happiness reviews several of these roadblocks and provides both principles and “take action exercises” for individuals to learn from, and through its application to ultimately achieve genuine happiness, including:

1st Path: Loving Yourself  a)Personal Brand b) Perfectionism c)Inner Critic d)Comparisons

2nd Path: Gratitude a) Attitude of Gratitude  b)University of Adversity

3rd Path: Forgiveness a)Forgiveness equals freedom b) Self-forgiveness is the key

4th Path: Follow Your Passion a) Getting out of your comfort zone brings growth

5th Path: Nourish Your Spirit a) Faith vs Fear b) Meditation & Purpose

6th Path: Loving relationships a) Love languages  b) Criticisms & Toxic relationships c) Authentic listening  d) Trust

7th Path: Service a) The antidote to selfishness

Thousands of individuals have taken this life satisfaction survey, and various graduate students throughout the world, (including Singapore, UK, and The Philippines and others) have used it as part of their graduate thesis.  It is intended as a tool measuring current level of happiness. It could be used before and after treatment to show changes in level of happiness http://thehappinesscenter.com/survey/survey.php