Self-Care for Nurses: Why It Matters & 5 Tips to Help Reduce Stress

• As nurses, we are used to giving our all to others, but we need to stop forgetting about ourselves!
• Nursing CE Central shares its top 5 self-care for nurses tips so that you can get back to treating yourself, even on the busiest days.
• From daily words of affirmation, to getting a good night’s rest, there is a quick and easy form of self-care here for everyone!

Are you a nurse that is burned out? Do you dread going into work every day? Maybe you love your job, but you need to be refreshed. Maybe you have a stressful job and busy home life with kids. I don’t know if you need to hear this, but self-care for nurses is important too. 

We are used to caring for everyone else all the time, and we forget that we need to care for ourselves too. If you’re looking for a recharge, we’ve composed a list of our top 5 tips on self-care for nurses! 

Why is self-care for nurses important?

You prioritize everyone’s needs ahead of your own. Of course, you do – you’re a nurse. You’re in the profession of service and care, but sometimes, you need to take time to relax. You must prioritize yourself – as the old saying goes, ‘you cannot pour from an empty cup.’ 

Dr. Monique Tello with Harvard University says that self-care is a necessity for healthcare professionals. She states, “if it is important to us to be able to take care of others, then we must pay attention to our own wellbeing.”

So why is self-care for nurses so important, you ask? 

Self-care for nurses is crucial to their mental health and wellbeing. A recent evaluation from the American Nurses Association showcases that nearly 70% of nurses claim to put their patients’ health and wellness above their own. Additionally, 82% claim to feel at risk for experiencing severe workplace stress.   

Never underestimate the value of self-care for nurses. Many may feel that self-care is selfish; however, the opposite is true. It is necessary; it helps you ground yourself. It brings you to your center and shakes off the negative things bringing you down.  

So how do you promote self-care within yourself? 

Top 5 Tips: Self-Care for Nurses  

1. Promote a Healthy Lifestyle with Nutrition

Eating healthy foods sounds easy enough… until it’s not. Meal planning is time-consuming, and it requires effort. It is expensive and sometimes inconvenient. Peter LePort, M.D., medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center, says this is why scheduling solid meals is important. “By pre-planning your meals often, you can often eliminate the impulse, ‘pressed for time’ purchases,” he says. A good example of this is buying impulse candy bars at the register. 

2. Exercise as an Outlet  

When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which make you happy. Exercise is a wonderful method to moderate and relieve stress. You can take your stress out on the treadmill, peloton, or punching bag… just not on your family or co-workers. Taking time to exercise is vital for you to be at your best every day. So, go take that new class you’ve been wanting to try out! 

3. Get some Sleep!

 When you are well-rested you are less moody, have more energy, and your body is able to balance digestion and metabolism. Sleep seems simple enough, yet a global analytics and advice firm, Gallup, determined that over 40% of Americans get less than seven hours of sleep at night. This might take some thought, but experiment with different sleep routines and determine what needs to happen for you to get those extra Z’s.  

4. Take a Spa Day

You spend all your days taking care of everyone else, whether it be your patients, your staff, your kids, your spouse, or, of course, your parents. However, you must remember to take a little you time. That may be getting a pedicure, receiving a massage, trying a detox, just taking some time to relax and recharge. You deserve it.   

5. Try Words of Affirmation

Start your day with something positive. No, I don’t mean hitting the snooze button five times, then rushing your morning out the door. That only adds stress. Instead, try waking up a few minutes earlier and spending time in prayer, meditation, self-reflection, or journaling. I like to list 5 positive things from the day before, or 5 things I’m grateful for & how I can show that gratitude. Whatever it looks like for you, make it a daily habit to spend a few, quiet minutes with your thoughts. 

At the end of a long workday spent taking care of others, remember that you are important and need to be cared for too. Think of yourself as the glue that keeps the walls of the house together, if the glue cracks, the house will fall. You already know what it takes to care for someone, so start treating yourself with the same love and care that you give to everyone else. Go take some time for yourself – self-care for nurses is the best way to ensure that our patients are getting the care that they deserve. 

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