Nurses provide their patients with physical and emotional care, but sadly, many nurses don’t have the time, energy or know-how to do the same for themselves. Nurses often find themselves teaching their patients about the importance of self-care on a wide range of different topics from looking after dressings and wounds to overall daily health maintenance, but at times, some nurses find that their own health has dropped to the bottom of their priority list due to their hectic schedules and various time constraints at both home and work.
The good news is that some healthcare employers now offer workplace-based health programs for employees. However, even if your employer does not, there are several things that you can do as a nurse to apply all the good advice you give to patients to yourself, take charge of your own health, and integrate important self-care into your busy work schedule. We’ve put together some nursing-friendly steps that you can take.
1. Create an Exercise Schedule:
It’s important to bear in mind that getting enough exercise doesn’t mean that you will need to be spending hours at the gym every day – in fact, exercising for just half an hour each day can make a massive difference to your overall fitness levels and wellbeing, and even though you spend all day walking around on your feet at work, it can be nice to have that time to yourself to work out.
The best way to get started with an exercise schedule is to choose exercises that you actually enjoy; you’ll be much more motivated to do them after a long shift if it’s going to be enjoyable for you. You could go hiking, cycling, swimming, to yoga classes, or try weightlifting – whatever you prefer.
Then, determine your exercise personality and figure out how you’re going to fit working out into your busy schedule? Do you have more energy when you first wake up, or later on at the end of the day? Since nurses often have unsociable shifts it might be worth thinking of this in terms of exercising ‘before’ or ‘after’ your shift rather than in the morning or evening, as your shift times may not always allow for this. And, make exercising a priority on your days off – spending a little more time when you can means you can afford to have more days off working out when you’re at work.
2. Find the Right Place to Exercise:
The last thing that you want is to have a long commute to the gym or to a fitness class after you’ve finished a 12-hour shift at the hospital, so it’s worth putting some effort into research and find a place to exercise that’s close to your home or place of work. In addition, you might want to consider splashing out a little bit more on a luxurious gym or fitness center if you can afford to, as this will make the experience more enjoyable for you – and these types of gyms also have great relaxation facilities like spas, saunas and hot tubs that you can take advantage of when you’re feeling tired and run down.
Don’t forget that the gym isn’t the only form of exercise you can get. If you don’t feel like leaving the house again after getting home from a long day at work, then it’s worth looking into exercise DVDs that you can do at home, or even getting some cardio and weight equipment like a treadmill, exercise bike and some dumbbells or kettlebells that you can use in the comfort of your own home.
3. Set Realistic Goals:
If you’re juggling a full-time nursing job with studying for your DNP online, don’t beat yourself up if you don’t see massive differences in your health and fitness overnight – you are already working hard and fitting in exercise can be a struggle when you feel like there are barely any hours left over in the day for you.
Don’t be too hard on yourself; remember that you don’t need to be ready for running marathons overnight and as long as you are managing to fit some exercise in somewhere, you will be doing the best that you can for your health, fitness and wellbeing. A good way to do this is to set small, realistic goals for yourself that you know you can achieve in just a few weeks, and progressive goals that you can increase as time goes on. It’s important here that you take care not to overwhelm yourself.
4. Improve Your Nutrition:
Many nurses work in a very fast-paced environment and as a result are often short on time, which can lead to their nutrition and diet suffering. If you’ve found yourself turning to convenience food and takeout more often than you would care to admit, then don’t worry – you’re certainly not the only healthcare worker who has found themselves in this trap.
Thankfully, there are several things that you can do to improve your diet without using up any more of your valuable time. Consider spending a couple of hours on a day off to prepare healthy, packed lunches for the week ahead that you can have ready to take to work with you so that you don’t get tempted to buy a cheese-laden panini or an unhealthy sandwich from a nearby café; not only will this help you eat more nutritiously, it’ll also help you save money too.
And, make sure that you are getting a healthy breakfast to start the day off. This doesn’t have to be something that takes a long time to make; simple breakfasts like porridge oats, fruit and yoghurt can keep you fuller for longer and provide you with the energy that you need to start the day off right. Finally, healthy snacks like fruit pieces, carrot batons, nuts and seeds are easy enough to take in your bag to work and grab if you get hungry during the day, helping you avoid unhealthy vending machine treats.
5. Stay Hydrated:
As a nurse, it probably sometimes feels like you are literally running on coffee, however it’s important that you make sure to keep yourself properly hydrated, too. A good way to do this is to take a reusable water bottle into work with you, so that you can keep it at the nurse’s station and refill it as and when you need to throughout the day. Try to limit your caffeine intake, as not only can this leave you feeling dehydrated, it can also mess with your sleeping patterns and lead to further problems with your health and wellbeing. Try and stick to one or two maximum cups of coffee during the morning, and whenever possible try to take your coffee black with no sugar, or with a splash of milk if you can’t have it black.
In addition to staying hydrated at work, make sure that you’re choosing water as often as you can whenever you are offered or go to get yourself a drink. And when you are exercising, be sure to have water nearby so that you can replace the lost electrolytes from sweating and provide your body with the fuel it needs to heal your muscles after a workout.
6. Maintain Good Health Habits:
Fitness and nutrition are just two parts of staying well and healthy. As a nurse, you’re probably spending a lot of your time advising your patients on the best health habits for them, but how many of them are you managing to maintain for yourself? When you’re working in a fast-paced, time-consuming job like nursing, it can be all too difficult to maintain regular checkups with your doctor and dentist, but avoiding them can lead to serious health problems that could have been avoided.
The good news is that there are also several things you can do in your own time to maintain good health, such as monthly self-exams of your breasts or testicles; if you find anything unusual, it’s important that you see your primary care physician straight away. And, make sure that you plan ahead to take time off work, or make time on your days off to go for recommended routine annual medical exams with your doctor, six-monthly dental checkups and an eye test every two years. Make sure that you follow your doctor’s recommendations for any other routine exams that are necessary for you.
Another thing that you can do is weigh yourself regularly so that you can catch any weight gain or unexpected weight losses before they become too concerning. If you are a smoker, quitting will not only prolong your life, but also make it easier to do your job. Speak to your doctor about nicotine replacement therapies such as patches or nicotine gum, or consider switching to an e-cigarette if it helps.
Finally, if you choose to drink, make sure that you do so in moderation. Generally, women should not have more than one drink per day whilst men should not drink more than two.
7. Look After Your Emotional Health:
Finally, don’t just focus solely on your physical health. Although feeling better physically will surely have a positive effect on your mental health and emotional wellbeing, it’s important that you look after your mind just as much as you look after your body. Nurses are the best at nurturing others, but it can be easy to neglect nurturing and caring for yourself in the same way.
Spend some time getting to know yourself and being as honest as possible with yourself about your mental state. Identify and pursue your goals, whether these are personal or professional – maybe you’ve always wanted to train so that you can move into a better position at work, or perhaps your goal is to save money and buy your own home. Working towards goals and seeing yourself getting to where you want to be can be one of the best ways to boost your self-confidence and improve your drive.
When it comes to setting your goals, don’t be afraid to follow your dreams. And, make sure that you are able to take some time out of your busy schedule to dedicate to following dreams, whether it’s a large goal that you are working towards achieving or a hobby that you’ve always wanted to take up. Bear in mind that although your career as a nurse is a hugely important part of your life, it is just as important that you are able to spend some time for yourself learning new things and doing the activities that you enjoy, no matter what they may be.
Additionally, it’s very important that you are able to get the support that you need, which is often done through cultivating healthy relationships. Actively make new friends and make sure that you dedicate some time in your schedule to spend with friends and improving the bond that you share with them. Similarly, don’t be afraid to cut down the amount of the time that you spend with people who you find drain you emotionally; toxic people are everywhere and sometimes it can be difficult to avoid them in our lives, so make sure that you have clear boundaries if you have a relative or friend who tends to do you more emotional harm than good.
Finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it – in any aspect of your life. Struggling alone and keeping things to themselves is one of the biggest contributors to nurses – and indeed anybody in any profession – suffering from problems with their mental health. Remember that there is no shame with speaking to your doctor if you feel that you could benefit from some additional mental support, or scheduling appointments with a therapist on a regular basis to talk about any difficulties that you are facing and come up with healthy ways to deal with them.
For many nurses, their life is all about being there for and helping others improve their health in whatever way is necessary. But, don’t forget to put your own health and wellbeing first.
