Nurses are known for their strong empathy; one reason many enter the field in the first place. However, caring for patients at work sometimes results in them ignoring any issues with their mental or physical wellbeing. Note that becoming overly stressed-out or suffering from burnout hampers your ability to provide exceptional patient care.
Building a successful career as a medical caregiver requires nurses to balance the needs of their patients and themselves. So let’s take a closer look at a few ideas to improve your own wellbeing while still caring for patients.
Use this information to ultimately foster a better balance between your personal and professional lives.
Maintain a Regimen of Exercise, Healthy Diet, and Meditation
Any nurse needs a strong focus on their mental and physical wellbeing, including exercise, diet, and meditation. Working out each day provides you with the energy to get through a long shift or a six-day workweek. Of course, eating a healthy diet with minimal alcohol and junk food also helps maintain your health.
Regular meditation sessions also play a critical role in reducing any work-related stress. Use any break time for a quick session during the day to improve your mental focus. Practicing pranayama breathing techniques on the fly also work well as a quick stress reducer.
Don’t Keep Your Emotions Bottled-Up
Of course, any hospital or medical office has the potential to quickly become a stress-filled environment. If your emotions sometimes get the best of you, never let them cause even greater harm to your mental wellbeing. As noted earlier, use meditation to calm yourself whenever necessary. Also, periodically blowing off some steam with a vigorous workout session keeps you balanced and focused on your patients.
Enjoy Your Free Time Outside of The Hospital
Part of balancing your professional and personal lives involves actually enjoying any free time outside of work. So be sure to take all your vacation days and use them to get away or even enjoy a staycation. Also ask your nursing manager whenever you need to take a personal day for stress reduction. Start an organic garden to provide some quiet time while growing vegetables and herbs to maintain a healthy diet.
Leverage all of these useful ideas to keep your stress levels as low as possible. Staying healthy – both mentally and physically – allows you to be the best medical professional possible!
When looking for a new nursing position, connect with the experienced recruiters at CHN Health Care Group. As one of the top medical staffing agencies in Boston, we know the hospitals looking for talented nurses. Reach out to us as soon as possible!