So let’s talk about a very serious topic today. “Serious, but I thought you said this month was all about fun???” Hey now! You’re right!! I did. But let me add something. Part of being able to have fun, to live a full and balanced life, and to be in a state of total health… is a very serious matter.

It is something that nurses struggle with. It is something that can make or break your health. In fact, it just might be one of THE most important topics we speak about this month. It comes down to two little words: taking breaks.

Uh-oh… she said the “B” word. I know many of you nurses out there are probably cringing, feeling uncomfortable, and getting ready with your objections. “A break! Is she crazy!!?? I haven’t taken a break in years! Don’t you know that as a nurse you are always on?!?”

This quote I’ve seen over and over on Facebook pages really bothers and haunts me: “Nurses are being scorned for being late with meds, while they are holding their bladder because they don’t have time to use the restroom, starving because they missed lunch, being peed on, puked on, pooped on, bled on, and are missing their family while taking care of yours. In the minute it took you to read this, nurses all over the world are saving lives. I appreciate nurses. I love a nurse. I am a nurse!”

While I totally agree that appreciating nurses and being a nurse is a GOOD thing… I don’t like the start of this statement. And unfortunately, I know it still is truth in many environments. Nurses holding their bladders, not eating, and basically not taking any breaks- to me, this is just not right.

Taking just five-minute breaks from your work can have several benefits. Can you get just FIVE minutes?

Short breaks can help increase your concentration, alertness, and work speed. They can help lower stress and your risk for on-the-job accidents, soreness, musculoskeletal disorders, and eyestrain. Short breaks are also linked to having a smaller waistline, lower body mass index (BMI), and lower triglyceride levels. Below are examples of some activities you can do in five minutes or less to benefit from rest breaks.

Some short break ideas include: a short walk, stretching, breath work, have a drink of water, change positions (if sitting, stand and vice versa), or close your eyes.

Now- I already envision the push back to this. “How can I take a break? No one will watch my patients. I have a heavy load. I have to get this, that, and the other done. I’m a Mom. The phone never stops. We can’t get off of the unit. No one gets a break. It isn’t part of our culture.”

I’m going to go out on a limb here- probably a very lonely branch- and say… you have to shift this culture, this environment, this “accepted” way in nursing- from the inside out.

You have to value yourself and your health so much that you don’t stand for this. In order to feel comfortable straying from the pack, you have to decide that your well-being matters most. To start out with, this might feel very lonely. This might make you some enemies or cost you some friends. But this is what the Living Sublime Wellness community is all about.

I envision a supportive environment for nurses where you can come and talk and mingle and relate. I hold this space for nurses to receive support and relationship. I want you to connect with other like-minded individuals from throughout the nation. This is why I hold these RejuveNation Collaboration events… heck this is why I capitalize the “N” in Rejuvenation!

I want you to start to realize that you do matter and your health is important. And if you cannot get that support in your work environment just yet- you can get it here.  You can receive ideas, congratulations, answers, and solutions. If your workplace does not condone breaks- then you need to build up your inner muscles of self-worth, appreciation, value, respect, and love.

Breaks are NECESSARY. They are help us not feel exhausted, drained, and burnt out. Taking a break is a way to last and endure. A break provides stamina. A break provides respite. A break is a non-negotiable.

How are you going to strengthen your capacity to take a break? How will you ensure that you do this each day? What do you need to put into place to help you know it is ok to take five minutes to yourself?