Most Pennsylvania residents experience various levels of stress in their lives. As a nurse, you may find yourself feeling immensely stressed while at work because of the many activities you need to complete throughout the day and the numerous patients you need to interact with, many of whom may be less than pleasant.
Your stress may not end when you go home either. You could have family or financial obligations that leave you feeling as overwhelmed as you felt while on the job. Unfortunately, if you let stress get the better of you, you may turn to questionable actions in order to handle it. Before you feel such a need, you may want to consider some stress relieving activities.
Tips for stress relief
In many cases, you may believe that the stress you feel will never come to an end, and after a long shift, you may just want to go home and crawl into bed. Getting more rest and sleep could help you with your stress levels, and if you do not get enough sleep, a lack of rest could compromise your health. In addition to more rest and sleep, the following tips may help you reduce your stress:
- Decreasing sugar intake and eating more healthy foods
- Taking a mental health day to get away from your stressors and recharge
- Utilizing yoga or other low-impact exercises
- Participating in an activity that you enjoy
- Spending time with friends and family
- Using meditation to manage stress and release yourself from negativity
- Learning breathing exercises
Some of these activities, such as breathing exercises and meditation, could help you while on the job by taking just a moment to center yourself after experiencing a difficult situation.
Negative outcomes
Unfortunately, the stress you and other nurses face often goes overlooked, and your hard work also often goes underappreciated. In some cases, you may feel that no one cares, and as a result, you could turn to substances like alcohol or even drugs in hopes of finding the stress relief you need. However, this type of activity could lead to a dependency that may damage your career.
If you do find yourself facing the possibility of losing your nursing license due to such a problem, you may want to understand your legal options. At the first sign of this possibility, you may want to discuss your situation with a knowledgeable attorney.
