Taking Proper Care of Yourself Let's be realistic, nurses spend an enormous amount of time taking care of other people, which is great, but are you taking care of yourself too? It's easy to forget your own health, wellbeing, and needs, when such a vast amount of your day revolves around everyone else; you sometimes slip through the cracks. Retrain the Brain The human brain is a complex organ. Nurses get up in the morning and the brain automatically goes into the mode of “everyone else”. Your brain actually puts “you” in a place similar to a back burner; you have trained it to do just that. Because of this continuous pattern, there needs to be some cognizant changes in your thinking. When you first wake up, there are some steps you can take to ensure you care for yourself. • Acknowledge that if you don't take care of yourself, you may find yourself unavailable to care for others •Be sure to get adequate time away from your job, and really away. Don't let working thoughts and concerns overtake your time away from work. •Get plenty of rest, proper sleep and rest time is vital when you are caring for others •Ensure you get proper nutrition, don't skip meals, or simply indulge on snacks. •Make sure all of your immunizations are up to date •Be sure to have regular checkups, and take all prescribed medications Developing a routine of caring for yourself, both mentally and physically can help to ensure you remain healthy and in top performance. Related: Top 10 Tips to Prepare Yourself on the Day of the NCLEX Superfoods for Superhealth Certain food can give your immune system a boost, and protect your body against free radicals. Not only can this group of foods helps protect your body, it will give your skin a more radiant, healthy appearance. These foods can help you to feel better in general, and can help ensure a healthy digestive tract. Blueberries- known for their ability to combat the effects of aging. Blueberries actually help reverse damage done by toxins, and help your body's defensive system against pathogens. Blueberries are credited with boosting brain power, so you can remain at your optimum level of thinking. Consider a blueberry smoothie for breakfast or for a snack, you will feel the greatest effects all day. -Kale is packed with nutrients to keep your body healthy. Try adding kale to a salad or sandwich to give your body a great nutrition boost.
-Salmon is loaded with heart healthy Vitamin E, which will protect your heart, and prevent certain forms of cancer. -Greek Yogurt is loaded with calcium, protein and probiotics. Your intestinal system will work better, which helps to boost overall immunity. These are a few of the super foods that will help keep your body in tip top shape, also consider adding Chia seeds to yogurts, and smoothies, they are packed with great health benefits. Fun and Laughter You may not realize it, but laughter is actually one of the best medicines. Make the most your time, especially when you are away from work, enjoy every minute of time spent with family and friends. Watch a comedy or play a fun game, and laugh. Do Something for You What is something you enjoy? Hiking, sports, dancing, anything that you find fun and comforting should be a part of your life. The more time you spend finding pleasure in an activity, the happier, and healthier you will be. Book a day for you and a friend to get a massage, or to get manicures/pedicures and just relax. Have a bowl of ice cream. Let the healthy eating take a back seat for a short time and indulge on a sundae or just a bowl of ice cream. Who cannot be happy eating a bowl of ice cream? Keep a Journal Many of the most successful people in the world have one thing in common, they keep a Journal. Writing the day's events down allows you to put things into perspective. Perhaps you have been feeling guilty, or being hard on yourself for a mistake. When you write it down, it enables you to get it off your chest, to let it go from thought to paper. By going back at a later time and looking over your Journal, it will show you how far you have come in your job and life, generally creating a sense of pride, and satisfaction. Just say No Of course, you don't like to say no to friends and family when they need something. However, if you don't, you may be facing a massive burnout. It's fine to lend a helping hand, however, it needs to be after you have provided adequate time and care for yourself. Don't overextend yourself just to make others happy. When someone requests your time, just a simple phrase, “I wish I could however I just don't have the time� is polite, yet to the point. When to Skip Work They are called sick days for a reason, and intended to be used when needed. If you have a fever, or stomach ailments that can make working your shift difficult, take the day off. If nothing else, you do not want to
expose sick patients to even more germs. Also, when your body is feeling really run down, it's a warning sign that you need to slow down, take a day to yourself and just rest, give your body what it needs. Everyone needs to care for themselves, or they cannot properly care for others, and even a super-nurse requires some care for themselves. There is nothing wrong will letting you be cared for. A massage, or just pampering at home by a partner can provide a great sense of relaxation and rejuvenation. Think about how it feels to return to work after a vacation, it's a great feeling, and it comes from being relaxed, even though you are busy, it's a type of busy that is fun. Always make sure you make use of vacation time, even if it's to stay at home, everyone needs a break regardless of whether they love their job or not. Take care of yourself, so you can provide care for others. Related: Skilled Nurse Donna Lee-Phillips, RN, to Be Published in the Worldwide Leaders in Healthcare Please follow us on Facebook, Linkedin, Pinterest and Twitter