It’s important to show compassion and provide quality care for your patients, but how often do you treat yourself with that same level of kindness? Sometimes self-care can seem like just another added responsibility in the long list of things you have to do in a day. Those long demanding working schedules can make you tired and feel exhausted. However, self-care shouldn’t have to be an overwhelming task. One of the things you can do for your mind and body is to take a break and always remember that you are worth it.
By putting others first sometimes you often neglect taking care of your own needs first. And further adding self-care into your daily life might seem inconvenient or even intimidating. Your reasons you find might be “I don’t have time for taking care of myself also.” But should it be like this? How are you going to take care of your patients if you can’t even take care of yourself? Here are some tips for practicing self-care as a nurse:
Eat healthily and do exercise
Fuel up for the day. Do not skip your breakfast. Having your first meal within one or two hours of getting up is a healthy habit with many benefits. Stay hydrated because staying hydrated is an essential part of overall healthcare for everyone. Keeping your body hydrated helps you to decrease the likelihood of diseases especially when you are working in the healthcare industry. You can also use fruit infused water as it has extra benefits of the natural ingredients. Try adding lemon, cucumber, mint, or berries to your water.
Skip the caffeine part. Sugary and caffeinated drinks might have worse effects than you think. Yes, coffee can help you to improve your alertness and ability to concentrate for a short period of time, but it also has its side effects such as caffeine dependency, restlessness, muscle tremors, and even insomnia. Skip junk foods and turn to a diet filled with organic fruits and vegetables. Be physically active by doing exercise.
Create a positive environment
Does your home or bedroom look like the way that you want it to be? After a long day does your home give you the positive vibes to calm you down? If it doesn’t make you feel calm, it’s time to give some thoughts about it. Start with cleaning out your home and take the clutter away. This might seem an obvious task, but it’s also one of the most useful tips. After all, you don’t want to come back to a messy home. Take a good look at your home, determine what needs to be removed, and what needs to be taken care of.
Reorganize your furniture. You might have furniture that is placed in a dull environment or settings, make them as a centerpiece. Choose refreshing wall paints for your home, it will surely help you to improve your mental state. Try to make it maximum cozy, add more pillows, knitted blankets, lights, and candles. Plant and take care of indoor and outdoor plants. Place plants that don’t need much care. Create your own cozy place where you can relax after a busy day.
Take regular intervals
Regularly ask yourself if you are okay, or how are you doing? Your schedules can be tight, and there will be times when you have to work hard. Working hard might end up being stressful and exhausting. So, plan your breaks as per your schedule. Take some time to breathe. Take small intervals to listen to one or two songs, do some exercise, drink plenty of water, grab a quick snack, or step outside of your building and breathe.
Read a book
Reading is both good for your mind and brain – you can indulge yourself in reading when you want some time to relax. It has been proved as one of the best ways to deduct the stress levels. There are books available in the market which have their own unique benefits as per the perspective of nurses. But it always doesn’t have to be a book related to nursing, everyone’s taste in reading is also different. Based on your interest you can go for any categories such as classic, educational, novels, and so on. Books can be your greatest companion as it’s the books you read that change your viewpoints on the world around you and the path before you.
Build more connections
Why building more connections in self-care? Building connections with fellow colleagues and professionals in the field is a great option. Be social, be a part of any kind of nursing organization that you think will be good for your career. By building more connections in the field you’ll find fellow nurses who are going through these same exhaustion phases as you and you can reach out and ask them how they are taking care of their career and themself. You’ll find nursing groups that are a great support for nurses by providing them valuable advice and mentorship. Further professional networking can help you achieve the fundamental knowledge required to take the next step in your career. Build a network with people outside your current scope of practice. Learn more self-care and nurse life hacks from your fellow mates.
Selfcare before anything
Give preference to your self-care. If you think it’s your hard schedules that cause issues in your self-care journey, then check out some of the best nursing specializations to make a shift in your career. Sometimes working under a healthcare facility that runs on a limited number of staff might require you to work overtime. Thus, most of the time you spend on working, and at the end of the day, you’ll feel exhausted and don’t have enough time to take care of yourself. Only a healthy nurse is able to perform well and take better care of their patients. If you find yourself not having enough time to take care of yourself, get in touch with authoritative staff or nursing wellness specialists in your organization. If they did not support you in this matter, you can always go with alternative options.
This dentist who does quality cosmetic dentistry in Tampa also adds that you should never forget to have regular health checkups. You’re a health professional and know your body well, however, there are issues that only other medical experts can diagnose.
Sleep well
Sleeping is an obvious task to do. Getting enough sleep (at least 7 to 9 hours) is essential for helping a person to maintain their optimal health and well-being. Maintaining your sleep cycle is as much as important as practicing regular exercise and having a balanced diet. A good sleep cycle links to your productivity, concentration, and cognition. But sometimes you might not get enough sleep as you are a hard-working nurse. But you need to figure out how to sleep better.
