3 Important Self-Care Strategies to Consider During Your Practical Nursing Career

 

practical nursing career

If you’re pursuing a practical nursing career, you probably enjoy taking care of other people and helping to improve their well-being. A profession helping others isn’t sustainable unless you care for yourself as well. Self-care can let you provide the best care possible, by maintaining balance in your life and coping with stressors. This includes caring for physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of yourself. A broad range of activities and choices can benefit your self-care, so to make it easier, have a look at a few strategies you may want to implement and see how they help you preserve energy, balance, and stamina for a fulfilling and fast-paced career.

1. Hobbies and Activities can Enhance a Practical Nursing Career

For some people in helping professions, training and socialization can make it a little challenging to focus on your own health and wellness, since you’re so used to focusing on what others need. An easy first step is to find an activity or hobby that you enjoy – anything from crossword puzzles to sports to learning a new instrument. When you schedule time to enjoy an activity you like, you lower your stress which helps you sleep better, improves your immune system, and discourages burnout.

Reading, activities or workshops pertaining to your field of work are also beneficial. They help you stay curious and sharpen your mind, letting you maintain your enthusiasm as you follow your career path. Practical nursing courses contain a lot of information and can build a lot of passion for students. Once you’re no longer in a program, you can continue this passion on your own.

2. Write down Thoughts and Feelings during your Practical Nursing Career

Finding ways to express your feelings will combat fatigue from satisfying but long days taking care of others. A great strategy is to keep a journal, recording your emotions and the things that happen in your life.

Things that make you happy can be looked back on at a later date when you need a boost, while putting distressing thoughts down on paper is cathartic for many people. Journaling has been shown to reduce blood pressure and improve mood, as well as boost the immune system. Keeping a journal might help you avoid getting sick or running out of steam, as well as give you a record of memories to look back on.

Finding ways to express yourself can make it easier to approach your work with a calm ease
Finding ways to express yourself can make it easier to approach your work with a calm ease

3. Reduce Stressors in your Life, Especially Less Obvious Ones

In a practical nursing career, you understand the importance of factors like stress on health. Large stressors are fairly obvious, but smaller ones can sometimes go unnoticed.

Noise, though often ignored, can elevate stress, whether it’s commotion outside your window at night or traffic sounds on a lunchtime walk. Relaxing beats or white noise can work wonders for cutting out stressful sounds – even recorded nature sounds played through earbuds can help you unwind.

Taking care of your own wellness can help you put smiles on the faces of others
Taking care of your own wellness can help you put smiles on the faces of others

Processed foods are another sneaky stressor. In particular, the amount of sugar in processed foods can increase anxiety by causing more highs and lows in blood sugar. Whole foods also keep you full longer, helping you stay satiated while on the job. Practical nursing studies often lead to busy, active careers where you may be tempted to cut corners by grabbing fast food. Taking time to properly nourish your body will pay off in the long run.

Are you interested in a practical nursing diploma?

Contact Discovery Community College for more information.

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