Women In Wellness: Major Bailey Lott Of The United States Army On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing

An Interview With Wanda Malhotra

Trust your gut. If you have a funny feeling about someone or something, don’t ignore it. Chances are, you are on to something.

Today more than ever, wellness is at the forefront of societal discussions. From mental health to physical well-being, women are making significant strides in bringing about change, introducing innovative solutions, and setting new standards. Despite facing unique challenges, women break barriers, inspire communities, and are reshaping the very definition of health and wellness. In this series called women in wellness we are talking to women doctors, nurses, nutritionists, therapists, fitness trainers, researchers, health experts, coaches, and other wellness professionals to share their stories and insights. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Major Bailey Lott.

Major Bailey Lott is a Medical-Surgical Nurse in the United States Army and is currently serving as the Phase 1 Director and Instructor for the Practical Nursing Specialist program at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX. Joining the Army right out of college, Major Lott began her career as an Army Nurse in Hawaii and has since served in several Army healthcare facilities across the country.

In her current role as an Instructor and Director, Major Lott is utilizing her nursing expertise and skills to educate and train the next generation of Army Practical Nursing Specialists.

Major Lott has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Montana State University.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?

I am originally from a small town of less than 400 people in Montana called Twin Bridges. Going into middle school, I moved to a town called Bethel in Connecticut with my two siblings and mom.

When I got to high school, I joined the NJROTC program. This was my first experience with anything military. As my junior year came, like most high school kids, I started contemplating what I wanted my future to look like. At this point, I knew I wanted to serve in the military as a nurse and make a difference in someone’s life. I also knew I wanted to get back to Montana. I applied and was accepted to Montana State University and attended on an ROTC scholarship where I commissioned into the Army upon my graduation and passing of my National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?

I think most people in the healthcare field — and most people in general — can agree with me on this one: One of the most interesting things to happen since starting my career in the healthcare field was the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suddenly, there was this new virus that was wreaking havoc on people of all different backgrounds, cultures, ages, and genders, and there was no way to tell who would suffer from the virus and who wouldn’t. In a single moment, our world as we knew it changed forever. It has been almost five years since COVID-19 was discovered and we are still seeing the rippling effects caused by that virus.

I had the pleasure of being mobilized to Eau Claire, Wisconsin, in December of 2020 to work in a civilian hospital to help our civilian counterparts combat the influx of patients being hospitalized with COVID. In total, including myself, there were six Army Nurses sent to augment the hospital in Eau Claire. While in Wisconsin, we worked on the COVID medical and ICU floors alongside civilian nurses who were permanent employees of the hospital as well as travel nurses who were augmenting as we were.

Being able to work with such diverse group of nurses and medical professionals and seeing them all come together to save the lives of their patients and do everything they could to try and understand what was happening was inspiring. These medical professionals, nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists — the list goes on — were tired. They worked so hard to do everything they could to just simply help these patients and their family members.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about a mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

When I was first starting off, I would try to complete each and every task set before me.

I would get to work early every day and would be the last car in the parking lot every night. It did not take long before it was taking a mental toll on my well-being, and I was quickly becoming burned out.

One day I was so overwhelmed, I went to one of my mentors to ask for help and guidance. He told me, “Bailey, know you can’t do everything. Prioritize what is most important and place everything else on the backburner. Know that some of those things will not get done, and that is okay.”

This conversation saved me many headaches and long nights. It has taken practice but being able to prioritize the “must do’s” and being okay with knowing some of the “nice-to-do’s” are just not going to get done has helped me grow as a leader and nurse.

Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?

With a focus on health and wellness, nurses are a patient’s biggest advocates. Training these young Soldiers on how to become a nurse and take care of those in need will leave a lasting effect and impact on the world. For 22 years, nursing has been rated the most trusted profession in the U.S. It truly is an honor to be able to teach and develop young nurses.

Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better well-being?

1. Get outside, even if just for a brief moment. Take time each day to get out of the house, feel the weather on your face, and take in some fresh air.
2. Start a journal. Writing down your thoughts — whether they are good, bad, pretty, or ugly — and getting them out of your system and on paper will do wonders for your mental health. People are like jars; you can only keep so many emotions inside before you are full to the brim and ready to overflow.
3. Drink more water. Easy to say, not always so easy to do. The overall health benefits that you will reap from drinking water is worth it. From younger-looking skin, weight loss, a decrease in muscle and joint pain, to keeping your bodily functions regular, the list goes on and on.
4. Stop looking at your screens (cell phone, TV, computer, etc.) right before going to bed and while lying in bed. The blue light emitted from these electronics disrupts and suppresses the body’s natural release of melatonin (the hormone that makes us sleepy) which in turn makes it more difficult to fall and stay asleep.
5. Set a schedule and stick to it. Get up in the morning around the same time every day and go to bed around the same time every night. This will help ensure you are getting the correct amount of sleep each night. Of course, splurge and sleep in a little on the weekends and catch up on sleep if needed, but setting schedules will help plan out your day and help set expectations.

If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?

If I could start a movement, it would be getting people to grow their own produce. Growing simple things such as herbs is a great starting place. Knowing where your food came from and what is used to grow it is not only healthier but puts your mind at ease knowing exactly what you are putting in your body.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started My Career” and why?

1. Be confident in what you know, but do not be afraid to ask questions. Knowing what you don’t know could be the difference between life and death. Never be afraid to ask, and always know there is something new to learn each and every day.
2. There are going to be hard days, but there are also going to be really, really good days. And even on those hard days, find your silver lining — there will always be one
3. Trust your gut. If you have a funny feeling about someone or something, don’t ignore it. Chances are, you are on to something.
4. Nursing can be both thankless and extremely rewarding at the same exact time.
5. You don’t have to put your personal life on hold for your career to blossom. They can both be flourishing at the same time.

Sustainability, veganism, mental health, and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?

All of these are important but mental health is nearest and dearest to me. Mental illness affects people of all walks of life, and it does not discriminate. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health awareness was thrust into the limelight as many people were experiencing the effects of being isolated and lonely as the country shut down and our worlds were put on hold. Think about the panic that ensued with the toilet paper shortage.

Even now in the wake of the pandemic, I can see a shift in my students. Many of them did not have the “typical” high school experience. They attended the last few years of high school via a laptop in their house. Their social growth was stunted. Learning resiliency and how to cope in stressful situations is a challenge that younger generations are facing.

Mental health is a taboo topic, especially in the military; but I am happy to see the shift from it being such a taboo topic to it being more widely accepted and considered just as important as physical health.

What is the best way for our readers to further follow your work online?

You can visit GoArmy.com to learn more about how you can become a nurse in the U.S. Army.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.

About the Interviewer: Wanda Malhotra is a wellness entrepreneur, lifestyle journalist, and the CEO of Crunchy Mama Box, a mission-driven platform promoting conscious living. CMB empowers individuals with educational resources and vetted products to help them make informed choices. Passionate about social causes like environmental preservation and animal welfare, Wanda writes about clean beauty, wellness, nutrition, social impact and sustainability, simplifying wellness with curated resources. Join Wanda and the Crunchy Mama Box community in embracing a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle at CrunchyMamaBox.com.