Effective Stress Management Strategies for Nurses

Nurses are the unsung heroes in the healthcare system because they continuously push themselves to the limit of their physical, emotional, and mental capabilities in an effort to provide the best possible care to the patients. When it comes to stress management, there are many techniques that nurses can follow to find the best stress reliever for their difficult and demanding jobs.

When the work is routine, demands are overwhelming, working hours are long, and mistake is not an option, sooner or later it will take its toll on your personal well-being. It is important to find a good stress reliever so that you can work effectively.

Depending upon your needs and preferences, you can try different stress management strategies. Here are some stress reliever tips:

1. Stress Ball

When your anxiety level is way up, try squeezing a stress ball to relieve all your stress and build up emotions. One can also choose a good hand grip to exercise you hands at the same time. When you have a spare time, you can even bounce the ball three times just to keep you awake and alert. Just make sure no one gets hit.

2. Exercise

To maintain your fitness level, try doing some exercise to maintain your flexibility and dexterity. Since nurses require high level of energy to perform their duties effectively, go on an effective exercise regimen since you need to be on your feet quite a lot. Emphasize on your endurance and breathing techniques to make sure you can work well and you won’t look like a tired dog in front of your patient.

3. Healthy Foods

Another key stress reliever is eating healthy foods because good nutrition means good health. Eat a good and healthy breakfast to keep your sustenance as you start your day at work. Don’t forget to eat lots of fruit and vegetables like what your mother wants. Energy-rich foods that include carbohydrates from pasta and bread, protein from chicken and meat, and Vitamin C from citrus fruits is advisable in order to keep your energy level up. Don’t forget to drink a lot of water and fruit juice to keep your body hydrated.

4. Effective Breathing

Practice your own breathing technique during the course of your work so that you can breathe in a lot of oxygen. Bringing in oxygen can help in your blood circulation and remove toxins in your blood stream at the same time. Maintain a good rhythm so that you can ease your stress away.

5. Positive Thinking

Sometimes our stress is more mental than physical because if you keep your anxieties to yourself, you would crack up eventually. Every single person in the hospital will always have a bad day and if our impulse comes in our way and we react negatively then every single person will have a bad day too.