5 Steps to Better Health for Nurses

By: Carol Dunlop

It’s such a vicious cycle; you’re tired and need more energy to sustain you during your shift, but when it’s time to sleep, you don’t really rest. Then, it’s time to get up and the cycle starts all over again. Let’s break that cycle starting today. By following this simple 5-step plan on nurse health, you’ll be on your way to having more energy, feeling better and sleeping more soundly in seven short days.

Step 1: Eat Breakfast

If you are skipping breakfast, STOP THAT RIGHT NOW! Why? Because breakfast is the first and most important meal of the day. Skipping breakfast is like forgetting to put gas in your car 10 miles after the ’empty’ light comes on. Plus, eating breakfast helps you to concentrate better on your daily tasks and helps to keep your brain sharp. One more thing, skipping breakfast causes you to over eat later while eating breakfast helps you to curb your appetite so that you can eat only when you need to.

Extra: Now, for the times when you are working the night shift, you should adjust your eating so that once you wake up, you are eating something within one hour.

Step 2: Eat 4-5 small meals

Three heavy meals is too much on your system and leaves too much time in between feedings. Schedule your meals so that you’re eating every 3-4 hours. This way, your body doesn’t have time to think “I’m starving!” and keeps running like a fine-tuned machine. This feeding schedule also helps you to be more conscious of what you’re actually putting into your body.

Extra: Just as you plan your tasks around your work nursing schedule,you should also plan your eating around it as well. Create specific times to eat so that your body will begin to tell you it’s hungry from the signals it gives off.

Step 3: Get Moving

Wake up and workout within an hour of getting out of bed. Not only will you feel better, more confident and empowered, you’ll also start burning calories earlier in the day (or night). Starting the calorie burn process causes your body to use your excess fat as energy, which in turn makes you feel better and more energized instantly. This causes a ripple effect where you make healthier choices to keep the feeling going.

Extra: On the days when you wake up and exercise, make sure that you eat your first meal within an hour after you complete your workout.

Step 4: Create a Sanctuary

Your bedroom should be for sleeping and activities that bring you joy and happiness. Catching up on work from the hospital and paying bills DO NOT fall into this category. Leave those tasks for your home office (which should not be in your bedroom) or the kitchen table. Decorate your bedroom with soothing colors, sounds and fragrances. Taking a hot bath, playing music that soothes you or performing calming Yoga moves or stretches 30-45 minutes before bedtime will help you to relax before you shut your eyes. Performing these tasks will also assist in giving you a restful and sound sleep experience.

Extra: Night shift workers can benefit from using light-blocking curtains and blinds over your windows.

Step 5: Do it at the Same Time

Set your schedule to go to sleep and wake up around the same time each day or night with no more than 15-30 minutes variance each way. Doing this will help your body to reset its internal clock and create a solid sleep pattern so you can awake rested and ready for your shift ahead. You may even find that you won’t depend on the alarm clock so much as your body will start to awaken naturally.

If after you’ve put this plan into action for a week and you still aren’t getting the relief you should have, it’s probably time to consult a professional. A sleep study may be in order.

If your energy still hasn’t improved, consult your physician or other medical professional for further testing and recommendations. This may only worsen the situation and bring more problems to nurses’ health.

About the Author: Carol Dunlop is certified through FiTour as a Personal Trainer and through the American Red Cross as a CPR, AED and First Aid Instructor. She has competed and placed in several Fitness America and National Bodybuilding competitions. To receive your Free E-course “How to Burn Calories While you Sleep,” log on towww.optimumbodysculpting.com.

Click here to read more on Carol Dunlop.Join Carol’s group page to connect and stay up to date with her latest articles, upcoming events, etc.Nurses, if you enjoy writing on nursing career, education or lifestyle related issues and are interested in becoming a NurseTogether.com contributor, please click here.