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Six Health and Wellness Tips For Nurses on How To Be A Healthy Nurse

You must be thinking – oh, another “how to stay healthy as a nurse” article, as If you haven’t read enough. That isn’t just an ordinary post; it is a mere reinforcement of how nurses can stay healthy and fit at work. Nurses aren’t the middlemen of a hospital setting; they’re the heart and soul of it. Their job is to cater to the world without flinching. 

No average human being can account for the strain and stress upheld in a 12 or sometimes 24-hour long shift than a nurse. These humans work so hard to care for others but often forget to care for themselves. Just think; how can a nurse who’s constantly having burnouts be fit to help others? Not fit at all. Therefore, as a nurse, if you want to take care of your patients with utmost strength, you need to prioritize your health. You have to be physically and mentally healthy before you can jump to perform your duties.

So how is that possible?

Here are some tips on how you can optimize your health and stay active during or after your shift. Let’s go!

  • Don’t Forget To Drink Water!

Staying hydrated on-off the job is critical. In fact, you constantly remind your patients to drink enough liquids, so you should do the same thing. Right? Be watchful of your water intake and make you never run empty of it. 

If your hospital doesn’t allow nurses to carry water bottles due to inflectional control– that’s a bummer. You can set a timer on your cell phone to remind you that you need a quick water break. Once you make a habit of it, you’ll never run into a dehydrated mind again. Also, if you need to pee, ignore the idea of “holding it in” because that’ll do you no good. Take a pee break instead!

Furthermore, if you’re a practitioner nurse looking for a more reasonable job with flexible working hours, we’ve got the right gist for you. Aiming for a higher degree would help you seal the deal. For instance, a masters of nursing online can get you a better position at the hospital. In the process, you can learn new ways to convince patients to take control of their lives while taking control of your own.

  • Nourish Yourself

Set yourself up to have nourishing and healthy snacks and meals throughout the week while you are working. Meal preparations before your stretch of shifts can turn you into the kind of worker who brings their snacks and lunch to work. It is an excellent way to start making healthy decisions for yourself. Hospital Food is designed to be healthy and provide nutrition, so you can take in a few meals there as well.

Aim for whole foods and not processed grab-and-go. A great snack substitute is a yummy homemade energy bar. So instead of going for your second cup of coffee when the mid-afternoon plummet hits, try a herbal or matcha tea alternative. 

  • Establish a Routine 

The quickest way to get off the track is by not setting a track from the beginning. It can be challenging for those working 14-hour shifts to feel like you are establishing any routine. Do not look at your entire week as needing a pattern; choose to build habit and structure into the days you are working. 

Establish a simple routine that sets you up to start your job with the right amount of energy and mindset. Also, make sure it allows you to unwind the night before/after you have to work. That is a great way to stay on track!

  • Exercise

Even the thought of hitting the gym after completing your shit can seem a bit of dismissal, but it can fuel you up. Daily Working out has proven to relieve stress, control weight, and increase energy. Join a local yoga studio, gym, or exercise group. Have a co-worker sign up with you to improve the chances of going, and of course, the more, the merrier! In the end, you will realize that regularly exercising is what gives you the strength to tackle those long nights at the hospital.

  • Soak Under the Sun

Working under the shade for hours can drain your energy. Whenever you have to take a lunch break, go for a walk outside or grab something outside the hospital. Those few minutes of walking under the sun can help build strong bones and stabilize your mental health.

  • Sleep Well

Getting enough sleep can help reduce your risk of chronic health problems. It is also one way to keep your focus at work and resist errors. In between nerve-wracking shifts, try to get as much as 8 to 9 hours of sleep. But if those night shifts make it impossible for you to sleep, consider establishing a well-thought routine. Sleeping during the day also helps!

It is also a good idea to detach yourself from other activities while you are going to bed. For instance, turn off your cell phone about an hour before you go to bed. Besides that, make sure that the room you are taking a shut-eye has a quiet and dark atmosphere. It enables your body to produce the essential chemicals it needs to sleep.

Conclusion

These tips represented a path to health and wellness for nurses. Now, we know all of the above can seem easier said than done, but if you can manage to take the “one step at a time” approach, you’ll be just fine. After all, it only takes tiny incremental changes to make an ever-lasting impact on your life. So go ahead and make everyone envy your greatness!