Have you ever felt overwhelmed at work? Are there times where you wake up and say, I'm just not feeling it today, or I just can't do it? As nurses, while we have one of the most fulfilling jobs, we also have one of the most stressful jobs. Hello and welcome back to Nursing Together, the podcast where we celebrate, support and strengthen our nursing community. One conversation at a time. I am your host, Michelle Hoen, and today's episode is all about you. Yes, you, the nurse, the caregiver, the advocate, the team player, the hero. I've been off for a little bit to regenerate and provide calmness in my chaotic life. Like you, sometimes the pressure and stress get to me too. I am hoping to provide you our fearless leaders with some guidance and advice on daily nursing struggles. Today we are not gonna be talking about our patients, we're gonna be talking about your wellbeing, your stress levels, and most importantly, how to take care of yourself. In OUR often demanding an always meaningful world of nursing. Let's be real. Nursing can be stressful, long shifts, high acuity patients, staffing challenges, emotional fatigue, and that's all. Before we even get into our paperwork, the electronic charting or remembering to eat our lunch. Recent studies have shown that over 60% of nurses report feeling burnt out and many site chronic stress as the leading reason why they are leaving their job or job dissatisfaction. Here's the good news. You're not alone. There are small, powerful steps that you can take today to reduce stress and reclaim moments of peace and purposefulness. Let's dive into some evidence-based strategies and real life tips shared by Nurses. For Nurses. First is gonna be the power of Pause. Try this before you even start your shift. Take 60 seconds to breathe deeply. What does that actually mean? It means to inhale for four counts, hold for four counts, and exhale for four counts. Sometimes you might even wanna do this three times in a row.. This is simple box breathing technique. It lowers cortisol and centers your focus. Nurses who do this before report feeling more grounded and better able to handle the curve balls. Next we need to look at the shift reset movement. This is when you get halfway through your shift and you take another minute to just check in with yourself. You need to ask some simple questions like, have I eaten? Did I have anything to drink today? Do I need to take a stretch break? Am I holding my attention too much in my shoulders or my jaw? Do I need another 62nd deep breath to calm myself? Even Brief moments of mindful awareness can help YOU shift your energy and reduce fatigue. Another thing you might wanna be looking at within your unit is to design a small, calm space. You might even already have one. It doesn't take much. It can even just be a chair by a window, or it can be, a designated break room where we don't do anything but have a break. We could also create something with soft lights or relaxing music, this space, wherever it might be. In whatever area that you have becomes your mental health sanctuary, even if you can only spend a few minutes there. And then finally, probably for me, the most important thing for you to start looking and doing is the buddy system for breaks. Nurses often skip breaks out of guilt or time pressure. Try setting up that buddy system. Partner with one of your colleagues so you guys can cover each other. Cover your patience for real time, erupted breaks. This is especially needed during your lunch break, giving you those few minutes to eat without feeling like you're gonna be pressured to jump up and do something. When we protect each other's time, we protect each other's wellbeing. So here are some strategies for sustaining that wellbeing. One boundaries matter. After work. Take some time to decompress before jumping into your actual home responsibilities. That could be taking a 10 minute walk, taking a shower, playing with your dog, journalizing. These can help you mentally shift your gears. Of course, probably the most important thing is sleep. Sleep is medicine. Prioritize rest. Sleep is when your brain and body actually repair themselves. Set up a sleep routine. It doesn't matter if you are working a day shift or a night shift. You should have a sleep routine, a cool room, a dark environment, screen free time before you go to bed. It is important. And then finally, connect with purpose nurses. Thrive in a community, whether that is a text thread with your coworkers, a weekly coffee check-in, or participating in your shared governance. Connection reduces isolation and it boosts morale. We've all heard it. Whether you've seen it on TV or you've actually gotten on that plane yourself. Put your own oxygen mask on first. I know it seems simple and it. Is probably logically the most important thing. But as nurses, we don't do that. We never prioritize ourselves. We feel like it's impossible to do. But here's what I want you to remember. Caring for yourself is not a luxury. It's an essential. Your wellbeing directly impacts your patients. Your colleagues and your ability to keep doing the work that you love to do. So here's what I want you to do. Choose one small thing from this list, just one. Maybe it's breathing before your shift. Maybe it's reaching out to a buddy for a break support, or maybe it's finally using that PTO that I know you have built up. Nurses have their PTO built up. Take that time, take that day to reset and enjoy yourself. Because you are seen, you are valued, and you are never alone. Let's keep this conversation going. Share your own stress reduction tips with each other, with someone that maybe you don't normally communicate with. We all need to understand that wellbeing is important. We all need. As a community to help each other and look out for one another. Thank you for listening and being a part of our Nursing together community and for all that you do. Until next time, take time. Take care of yourselves. And each other.