5 Important Signs Nurses Don't Take Care of Themselves (And What to Do Instead)
Being a nurse is one of the most challenging yet rewarding jobs out there, don’t you agree?
You are quite literally a superhero wearing scrubs instead of capes.
And it is as emotionally demanding as it is physically.
Your job doesn’t end with just assisting your patients, charting, or getting your hands dirty.
It requires a lot of emotional energy too - in many ways for instance, you're absorbing the worries and fears of the people around you.
Despite the stress at work, stress from multiple shifts in a row, minimal breaks in between, and being under thanked, you still always, always, put your patients first.
And sometimes, you’re too busy taking care of others that you fail to notice you need to look after yourself too.
And this is a big problem, because from this comes problems like burnout and other issues.
In this article, we’ll be listing a few signs which are a strong indication that you’re not taking care of yourself enough.
These will help you evaluate your habits and choices when it comes to your own health, and tell you what to do instead.
Let's get started.
1. You Focus Too Hard on Patients First.
Now don't get us wrong - of course, taking care of patients is important. But don’t overdo it to the point where you forget to care for yourself.
For one, it may develop into an unhealthy co-dependency of the patients to you which eventually leads you to burnout, physically and emotionally.
Moderation is key. Look out for your own well-being too.
Really - sometimes you just need to take that extra day off.
That extra trip to the beach. That extra glass of wine with your girlfriends. Whatever makes you feel good.
You absolutely must treat yourself or else burnout becomes a real issue!
Remember, your nursing career is a marathon, not a sprint.
Your patients are very important, but you must pace yourself and NEVER forget to treat yourself.
2. Too much overtime.
Because most places are short staffed these days, it’s common for your job to ask you to work overtime.
Although we nurses love the money that comes with working overtime, it can also present plenty of mental and physical health risks in the long run - IF you're not careful.
Please - be wise about when you should pick overtime and when not to.
At the end of the day, you need to remain fit in order to perform to the best of your abilities and help save more lives.
If you ever feel like you're getting burnt out, stay firm and say no, even if they try to get you to do it.
3. Not enough focus on self-care.
As simple as not taking a water break, pee break or eating more junk foods is a serious sign that you’re not focusing enough on self-care.
In a recent study published in the Nursing Research and Practice journal, it shows that there’s an alarming rate of nurses who do not exercise regularly nor eat properly.
In fact, we'd argue that this is truly an epidemic in the nursing field.
If you've been following us for a while, you know we focus on improving your lifestyle and health! After all, that's what we're here for!
It’s already given that being a nurse entails high stress but coping with it poorly will snowball on you.
So remember, to care for others, first, you must take care of yourself!
4. Not enough “me” time.
You work with peers, with patients to assist, and employers to please.
After work, when you get home, you have parents to care for, children to feed, or fur babies to play with…
Sometimes, you’d feel agitated or fed-up with all the noise in your surroundings. And that is a desperate call for some time alone.
You need some peace and quiet too - to recharge, to reflect, and think things through.
Meditate, exercise, or write a journal!
5. Not enough sleep.
We’re pretty sure you’re not getting enough sleep.
But who isn’t, right?
A lot of research says that lack of sleep and poor sleep quality remain the #1 problem among nurses.
Too much stress or messed up sleep patterns due to rotating shifts can contribute to your sleep quality.
And we can’t stress enough how vital sleep is in our body!
Lack thereof greatly affects our focus, mood and energy.
If you're looking for some effective ways to get better sleep, click here!
Conclusion
If you’re experiencing at least two of these 5 important signs, it means you need to be extra mindful of your own health!
The biggest harm you can do to your patients is not taking care of yourself!
Because when you let the stress build up and the fatigue to pile on without doing anything, your attitude about your patients, your job, etc will eventually change for the worst.
Therefore, we recommend to take extra measures to make sure that you are physically, emotionally and mentally well.
We know it’s almost impossible because your job demands so much of your time and energy.
Fortunately for you, we can tell you we have at least one solution.
How?
One way to do it is with our incredibly popular Save My Whole Life Bundle.
This is a combination of our 3 most popular products combined at one awesome price.
They are designed to eliminate all your aches and pains from nursing so you can feel much more refreshed at the end of your long shifts.
We hope you enjoyed this quick article. Please share it with friends who may need it!