By Karla Theilen, RN, contributing writer
You know what it’s like when your phone battery starts draining power more quickly, and each time you recharge it, it not only seems to take longer, but the battery seems to go dead faster, too?
Now think of your own battery, the one that powers you for your 12+ hour shifts. Is your battery taking longer to re-charge, and getting drained more quickly? Remember when a one-night Netflix binge could reset your mind and body for work? And now, locking yourself in a dark room and watching every episode of Game of Thrones won’t even do the trick? Friend, you may be on the fast track to burnout. Luckily, I have some tried-and-true tips to share with you.
1. 4-7-8 breathing. No, 4-7-8 is not the area code of the junk call you just received, it’s a simple, but incredibly effective stress-reducing breathing technique based on inhaling for four seconds with lips closed, holding the breath for seven seconds, then exhaling for eight whole seconds. Try exhaling through pursed lips or make a “whooshing” sound with the exhale; the point is to let it all out. You can even do this at work, in the med room, supply closet, or even the bathroom. Which reminds me to tell you, DO go to the bathroom. Nobody wins a prize for having the fullest bladder at the end of the shift.
2. Inventory your stressors. Is it just work? Or are you trying to do too much when you’re not at work, too? Start with dropping something you don’t really want to do anyhow, like the book club you’re in where nobody else but you ever reads the book. Try not reading the book next month and then just show up for the drinks and snacks like everyone else. It might actually be fun. Or drop the book club altogether, or any one of the other obligations you squeeze in outside of work that you don’t love doing. Quitters are winners sometimes—just ask a former smoker who now runs marathons.
3. Know the limits of a workday. One of the wisest things an older nurse ever told me when I was first starting out was this: Nursing is a 24-hour operation. You are only responsible for what you can get done in your twelve hours. As hard as it is for perfectionists, overachievers, or workaholics (i.e. just about every nurse I know), you need to understand that despite best intentions, things will be left undone at the end of your shift. If you truly did your best to get your patient to CT during your shift, or kept trying to do a dressing change, but the call lights didn’t stop ringing? Let it go. Others have had to leave work for you, and you have to do the same, too. Once again, nursing is a 24-hour operation, and we’re all in this together.
4. Feed yourself. I am not talking about Red Bull and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, either. Many of the convenience foods we nurses shovel down in the stolen moments away from our patients aren’t doing our bodies any favors. Too much sugar, carbs, and caffeine can actually send us nosediving into a crash when consumed in excess. Choose foods with the nutrients your body needs. Check the list of ingredients on the package. If the list is longer than your arm, or you need a translator to decode all of the mystery ingredients, give it a pass. Try cutting up an apple, slather it with peanut butter, make some hard-boiled eggs, and pop everything in your lunch bag. Fill your water bottle while you’re at it, too. Your kidneys will thank you. Now that you’ve done your body a favor, you can have those Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, guilt-free.
5. Fill your bucket. Even though Netflix, margaritas, or even a spa day can provide temporary relief, make changes that actually nourish your being long-term. Develop a practice of walking, stretching, take an art class, or engage in a hobby that brings you joy. One surprisingly effective, bucket-filling habit is simply learning to say no. Even the best nurse out there needs to have good boundaries, and a personal life, too.
Karla Theilen is a writer, storyteller, and Registered Nurse based out of Missoula, Montana. Her writing has been featured on NPR, STAT News, Life in a Strong Town, and select stories and essays have been anthologized. She has been Facebook-free since 1972.
Leave a Reply