Issue #08 - A Little Catch-Up… It’s Been a While! 💛
Well… hello!
It feels like it’s been a minute since I sat down and wrote one of these.
Life, work, Burnout to Joy, nursing, writing, speaking, creating, planning, dreaming… and, if I’m honest, just trying to keep all the plates spinning! (Without getting burnt out ;))
So I thought it was time for a little catch up.
There has been A LOT happening behind the scenes — some exciting, some unexpected, and some of it still taking shape.
🌿 Burnout to Joy is growing
Burnout to Joy has been evolving.
What started as an idea born from my own experience of burnout has grown into something much bigger — a body of work centred around helping nurses understand stress, regulate their nervous systems, protect their energy and reconnect with the joy and purpose that brought them to their work in the first place.
And it’s becoming increasingly clear that this isn't simply about recovering from burnout.
It’s about prevention, awareness, nervous system health and learning how to live and work differently before we reach breaking point.
What’s in a Name? Meet GULA 🤖💛
So… you might have heard me mention GULA recently and wondered:
What on earth is GULA? And where did that name come from?
Well, there’s a story behind it.
GULA is the name I’ve given to the AI support and triage companion I’m developing as part of Burnout to Joy.
But GULA isn’t just a clever name for an AI.
Gula was the ancient Mesopotamian goddess associated with healing, medicine and physicians.
And that felt incredibly fitting.
Because the vision for GULA is to bring together something I’ve spent my entire career learning about — healthcare, compassion, education and human connection — with something completely new: artificial intelligence.
GULA is being designed to help people pause, check in with themselves, understand what might be happening with their stress and wellbeing, and identify what kind of support might be appropriate next.
She won't diagnose.
She won't replace a nurse, doctor, therapist or other healthcare professional.
And she won't pretend to be human.
Instead, I want GULA to be the warm first step — a place where someone can say:
"I'm not okay. I don't really know what's going on. What do I do next?"
And receive a compassionate, practical and safe response.
There is a LOT of work to do before GULA is ready for the world.
But I’m incredibly excited about where this could go.
Burnout to Joy is about helping people find their way back to themselves.
And perhaps GULA can become another little light along that path. 💛
Welcome to the Burnout to Joy family, GULA.
We’re just getting started.
🩺 Nursing is still at the heart of everything I do
After 40 years in healthcare, nursing continues to shape so much of my work. You will notice that BOTJ has returned to its original focus - Canadian Nurses (although European Nurses are waiting patiently...)
I’m increasingly passionate about the conversation around joy-centred wellbeing — not as another thing we ask exhausted nurses to do, but as part of creating healthier, more sustainable working lives.
Because we shouldn't have to lose ourselves in order to care for others.
✍️ There are also books, talks, courses and ideas…
Some days I feel like I have 27 tabs open in my brain!
There’s writing happening.
Speaking opportunities.
New course development.
Ideas for retreats and experiences.
Conversations about partnerships/affiliations.
And lots of thinking about where Sam Bell Inspired and Burnout to Joy can go next.
Not everything is ready to share yet — but I promise you, there is plenty happening behind the scenes.
💛 And on a more personal note…
I’ve also been reminded that building something meaningful isn't always a straight line.
There have been moments of excitement and moments of doubt.
Moments when everything seems to flow — and moments when I’ve wondered what on earth I’m doing!
But perhaps that’s part of the journey too.
I'm learning to trust the process, follow what feels aligned and remember that I don't have to have the whole path mapped out before I take the next step.
And maybe you need that reminder too.
🌿 This Month’s Burnout to Joy Resources
September Theme: How to Build a Morning Ritual That Protects Your Energy
How we begin our day can have a surprisingly big impact on how we move through it. This month, we’re keeping things simple and focusing on creating a morning ritual that helps you pause, ground, regulate and protect your energy before the demands of the day begin.
📝 Your Monthly Worksheet
My Energy-Protecting Morning Ritual FIND IT HERE
This month’s worksheet will help you explore:
- What currently happens in the first hour of your day
- What drains your energy before your day has even begun
- What helps you feel grounded and centred
- Three small practices you could introduce into your morning
- Your own 10-minute Energy-Protecting Morning Ritual
The goal isn't to create another complicated routine to “get right.”
It’s about finding a few simple things that help you begin the day from yourself, rather than immediately responding to everyone else.
✍️ This Month’s Blog
How to Build a Morning Ritual That Protects Your Energy
What if your morning wasn't something you had to rush through?
What if, instead of reaching for your phone, checking emails and immediately responding to everyone else's needs, you created a few minutes that belonged entirely to you? READ MORE ON SUBSTACK
🧘♀️ This Month’s Meditation
Protect Your Energy: A Morning Grounding Meditation DOWNLOAD HERE
Start your day with a short guided meditation designed to help you:
🌿 Arrive in the present moment
🌿 Connect with your breath
🌿 Ground your nervous system
🌿 Notice what you need today
🌿 Create an intention for how you want to move through your day
You don't need a perfect morning.
You don't need an hour of meditation.
You just need a few moments to choose how you want to begin.
“Before I give my energy to the world,
I give myself a moment to come home to me.” 💛
✨ So… what’s next?
October is already looking productive.
More Burnout to Joy.
More conversations about nursing and wellbeing.
More development of GULA.
More writing.
More sharing.
And, hopefully, a little more space to breathe along the way. (I have just completed my Breathwork Practitioner Certification!)
Thank you for still being here.
Whether you've been following me for years or you've only just found me, I’m so glad you’re part of this community.
We’re still on the journey from Burnout to Joy.
And I have a feeling we’re only just getting started.
With love,
Sam 💛
Sam Bell Inspired
"Burnout to Joy — Love Your Work Again"
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