Healthy Nurses Impact the Health of Our World

by | Oct 29, 2014 | 0 comments

There is a lot of discussion these days on global disease. Public health. With viruses that travel overseas and infect our populations through the caregivers practicing healthcare; we have got to remain healthy as a nursing population so that we can best impact the health of our world.

[Tweet “Healthy nurses impact the health of the entire globe.”]

But when we are busy taking care of everybody else it can be tricky to find the time to take care of ourselves. Here are 3 ways nurses can quickly and easily work self-care in:

  • Mind. Stressful thoughts impact our overall health, as this article from the University of Minnesota points out. As I tell the nurses I present and speak to, there is one thing that no one can control. And that is our own thoughts. Our thoughts are our most powerful asset. They can make or break our day. Thoughts can leave us paralyzed in inaction or they can compel us forward to reaching our goals. Getting a handle on our thoughts through mindfulness techniques is the first way to enjoy a healthier lifestyle.
  • Body. Stress impacts our muscles, joints, sleep and pain levels as this post on Stress Management from the Mayo Clinic teaches us. And as nurses we are lifting heavy objects, on our feet for long periods of time and prone to injuries on the job. In order to combat these physical stresses we have got to take care of our bodies. Weight training and cardiovascular exercise are necessary. My favorite type of exercise is Yoga. It can be gentle on the body, while it strengthens my muscles.
  • Spirit. Having some sort of higher power that we can trust is supporting our journey is crucial to feeling healthy as a busy nurse. Things happen on our shifts that are beyond our control. We experience disease, dying and even death. To be able to cope with and process these things we need to commit to a spiritual practice. I choose Reiki as my modality, but there are loads of others out there that can complement your physical, mental and emotional health needs.

What would you add to this list? How do you stay healthy and practice self-care as a busy nurse? Knowing that the health of our world can be impacted by the health of our nurses is an empowering thing. Leave a comment below with your favorite health practice or technique.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Q

Love the Content?

Join the mailing list for even more great information from Elizabeth Scala!

Name
Opt-in Notice(Required)
By submitting this form, you agree to receive email marketing from Elizabeth Scala regarding our products and services.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.