Wow, what a year it’s been! Due to the increasing demand for nurses, exacerbated by the pandemic, many travel nurses have worked back-to-back assignments for the past twelve to fifteen months with barely a moment to catch their breath.
When you love your job—the thrill of exciting locales and the challenge of new assignments—and are committed to giving 110% to serving the needs of others, self-care too often takes a backseat. Yet recognizing when your depleted battery needs to be recharged will make you better able to provide excellent care to your patients.
While it can be challenging to recognize, and even more challenging to admit, travel nurses need breaks to recharge their bodies, minds, and souls to prepare them for future assignments. There are many ways to replenish the physical, mental, and emotional stamina that healthcare positions can deplete. Check out these suggestions below:
When was the last time you took the time to disconnect from your regular, work-a-day life –totally? While a day or weekend off here and there is helpful, nothing recharges depleted resources like a time completely away from the workplace. That book you purchased last year, the one that’s calling to you from your nightstand? Toss it in a suitcase with some comfy clothes and head off to someplace fun and relaxing. Plus, there are several discounts available for healthcare providers. Saving money is just another great reason to get away for a break!
Whether your latest assignment has you working near or far from home, crazy schedules always seem to interfere with staying close to the ones we love. Yet spending time with our fav people can help to pump up waning energy reserves. So, make a conscious and deliberate effort to reconnect with family and friends who may have been more absent than usual due to social distancing related to the pandemic. Make plans to spend the day together, or at the very least, have dinner and a walk in the park. If you can’t make those in-person connections happen, then schedule a video chat or a phone call.
It’s never out of season to get into the spirit of spring cleaning. There is something rejuvenating about cleaning and getting things organized. While you’re sifting through stuff, set aside items that you no longer use to donate to a ministry-based thrift store, a homeless shelter, or a friend/family member. The feeling of letting go of items that are no longer needed can be quite refreshing.
If you can’t make an actual vacation happen, then prioritize an entire day to pamper yourself. Get a massage, a pedicure, see a movie, buy a new outfit and a snazzy pair of shoes, have a picnic, take a long nap in the sun, indulge in your favorite dessert. Combine several of these pursuits to make the day a real “self-spoiler.” Better yet, make these pampering-yourself activities even more special by inviting a friend to join you.
Adults who work full-time rarely get enough sleep. While we boast that we are accustomed to making do with less-than-enough shut-eye, sleep deprivation wears people down emotionally, physically, and mentally. So, figure out how to work more sleep time into your schedule, beginning with creating a bedtime routine, whether that includes a bath, downtime to quiet your mind, or reading, that will positively impact the quality of your sleep.
It's important to take care of yourself. Take a proactive approach to keep your mind and body humming along so that you can continue to enjoy and grow in your travel nursing career.