As a nurse professional you have probably been wrapped up in the perfect storm situation before. Here’s the paradox that is typically tipped in the wrong direction. It goes like this:

• Nurses often have no time
• AND
• Nurses usually have too much stress

When we put the two together we can feel exhausted, overwhelmed and very dissatisfied with life. “There’s never any time and the time I do have is spent stressing out over this, that and the other.”

[Tweet “It feels like all we do is put out fires. We’ve lost control of our lives!”]

Here are 3 time savings tips to help us busy nurses get our lives back:

1. Get organized. Even those of you who say you’re not. You have got to get a calendar, planner or use some sort of app on your smart device. Once you have the physical tool in hand, it’s time to use it. Don’t just carry around your calendar- refer to it. Schedule in blocks of time: the time you are at work, the time you are at play and the self-care activities that you can never seem to find the time for. Write it down and hold yourself accountable to the appointments you make.
2. Get focused. Eliminate distractions as much as you can. These days we are on information overload. With alarms, bells, in-boxes and to-do lists we feel like we can never get ahead. It is partly because your mind never has time to focus on just one thing. When you sit down to partake in the activities that you placed on your handy-dandy calendar (see above), be sure to turn everything else ‘off’. Close the email. Silence the cell phone. Eliminate distractions so that you can actually participate in one thing at a time.
3. Get energized. A way to perceive that you have more time is by doing things that you enjoy. Filling your life full of pleasure and play is a great way to expand time. Have you ever noticed that when you are engaged in something you fully enjoy it seems like time stands still? Make choices based on how you feel. Follow your heart’s desires. Do the thing that you find fun to fill yourself up.

How about you? What time savings tips have helped you de-stress? I would love to learn more. Feel free to leave a comment below. Thank you for reading and enjoy your health today.

About the Author: As a speaker, workshop facilitator, and Reiki Master, Elizabeth partners with hospitals, organizations, associations, and nursing groups to help transform the field of nursing from the inside out. As the  host of the Your Next Shift Workshop, Elizabeth guides nurses and nursing students to a change in perspective, helping them make the inner shift needed to better maneuver the sometimes challenging realities of being a caregiver.