Practical Self-Care for Nurses

Self-care for nurses can often feel like just one more thing on your overflowing to-do list. But let’s start by making one thing clear: Self-help is not on you alone. Everyone, not just nurses, needs it.

The problem with most self-care advice is that it puts the onus on you. Just the way it is worded — “self”-care — implies that the responsibility lies with you. But self-care is a necessary part of the human experience.

As jobs continue to demand more and more of our time and energy, it’s important to remember that no amount of self-care is going to rectify the state of healthcare. But it can help us better manage nurse burnout and live healthier lives both in and out of the workplace.

Why Is Self-Care for Nurses Important?

All too often nurses hear, “Self-care is important because you need to be well cared for to take care of others.” While this is technically true, self-care is important for your health. It’s not intended to make you more productive, improve patient care, fill a gap in staffing, or anything else outside your own control. It’s meant to improve your conditions. Full stop.

In a survey of over 9,500 nurses, 75% reported feeling stressed, 69% reported feeling frustrated, and 62% reported feeling overwhelmed. When asked about emotional health, 34% of nurses reported that their emotional health was not (or not at all) emotionally healthy. Self-care measures are essential in maintaining your overall health.

Nursing can be exhausting mentally, physically, and emotionally. In one room you are terminally extubating a patient, in another you are offering a warm blanket and cup of tea, and in another you are titrating a medication drip for the 20th time trying to keep the patient’s vital signs stable. You are constantly reprioritizing your day, as orders change and as patient’s conditions change.

So now that we’ve called out the elephant in the room, let’s get into some actual steps you can implement to make your internal experience better.

What Are Practical Examples of Self-Care for Nurses?

There are five main areas of self-care that are important for nurses to consider: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social.

Physical Self-Care

Nursing is a physically demanding job. Take care of your body’s physical needs so that you can keep doing the job you love. Try these practical tips:

Take your breaks and have a backup plan: Keep a protein bar nearby for those times you can’t make it to the breakroom. Ideally, you’ll get time for a well-balanced meal. But, you still need to plan to take care of you — so have that snack ready.

Prioritize sleep: Most people need 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Not only will being well-rested make you feel better, but it will also keep your immune system strong. What do you need to stop doing so you can get adequate amounts of sleep? Look at your current routine and see what you can stop or move around. Aim for consistent sleep and wake times. Put away your phone one hour before bed to reduce blue light exposure, which can make falling asleep difficult.

Find an exercise practice you enjoy: Physical activity doesn’t have to be rigorous — studies show that just 10 minutes of walking can boost your mood and enhance your health. Try joining a gym or exercise group near you, start a wellness program for nurses, or get back into dancing.

Emotional Self-Care

Taking care of your emotional health means learning how to cope with stress, managing and expressing emotions, and communicating your feelings. Try taking these steps:

Find a therapist you trust: Nurses need a safe space to vent and be validated. Seek professional counseling. And it doesn’t have to be in person — online therapy is a convenient option you can also explore.

Learn to set boundaries: Boundary setting protects you. You don’t have to tolerate being yelled at by a physician who is on call at night. You don’t have to come into work on your days off. Mastering the art of saying “no” is one of the best methods of self-care for nurses. Try saying, “I will not continue this conversation with you if you continue to yell at me.” Or, “I am not available to work that day, please do not ask again.”

Practice journaling: You’ve probably heard this advice before, for good reason! Journaling can help reduce stress, boost your mood, reduce anxiety and depression, promote sleep, and enhance your self-confidence. Try writing just a few minutes per week, increasing to daily for the most benefits.

Mental Self-Care

Taking care of your mental health can help to increase your energy and help you manage stress. Try these tips:

Use your PTO: Taking time off helps you feel restored and refreshed. Try combining days off on a Friday and Monday to get the most bang for your buck, and take an extended weekend getaway or staycation.

Accept help when it is offered: This is true both at work and outside of work. A coworker is offering to hang that bag of IV fluids in room 5? Perfect, take it. Your significant other is offering to cook dinner? Awesome, accept it.

Practice deep breathing and grounding exercises: Try the 3-in-3 breathing technique. Focus on one thing in your environment. Name it as you inhale, counting to three. Hold your breath for a count of three. Exhale for a count of three. Repeat twice more, for a total of three times. PS: This one’s so quick, you can do this at work.

Spiritual Self-Care

The importance of spirituality in self-care for nurses cannot be overstated, regardless of religious affiliation. Anything that connects you to a deeper understanding and feeling of purpose is spiritual self-care. Try these tips:

Meditate: There are numerous meditation apps to help get you started and stay consistent in your practice. It doesn’t have to be long — aim for a few minutes daily.

Yoga: Yoga connects you to your body, breath, and mind. You can practice at home with a YouTube video or join a group class.

Fellowship: Connect with others who share similar beliefs as you. You could join a religious institution or try volunteering with a charity.

Social Self-Care

Yes, being a nurse is a huge part of your identity. But it is not your sole identity. Make time to nourish the other parts of you. Try these tips:

Make time for your hobbies: Do you like to hike? Plan it. Do you enjoy playing music? Get that piano out of the garage. Do you love getting crafty? Take a painting class. Engage in activities that you enjoy, for no other reason than it makes you happy.

Share meals with your coworkers: Whether it’s a potluck or a team breakfast after a night shift, connect with your coworkers over a meal.

Call your friends: Make the most of your work breaks or walk to work and devote time to strengthening your friendships. Even if you only have 10 minutes to talk, engaging with friends daily can boost your mood and well-being.

Common Barriers to Self-Care for Nurses

We get it. Some things are simply out of your control and prevent you from practicing self-care, despite the best of intentions. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Do what you can and let go of the rest. Just remember that you should be a priority, too.

Check out these common barriers — maybe you’ll resonate with a few.

1. Short Staffing

Nurses have grown accustomed to work short staffed, with 93% of nurses reporting staffing shortages. These nursing shortages lead to more errors, higher mortality rates, higher burnout, and decreased patient satisfaction. What’s the impact on nurses directly?

• Lack of regular meal and restroom breaks
• Disturbed sleep patterns and fatigue
• Overwork resulting in less time outside of work for hobbies and healthy habits.

So what can you do? Become familiar with your state’s mandatory overtime laws — if it’s illegal to mandate it, say no. Try reducing your work schedule, when feasible, to build in extra time for rest while also minimizing the stressful work encounters. Use the bathroom when you can, knowing there will be times you can’t. For longer-term solutions, advocate for safer nurse-patient ratios.

2. Toxic Workplace

As you can imagine, it can be difficult to practice self-care when you’re being attacked, physically or mentally. No amount of deep breathing or mantras will counteract the attack on your nervous system (and spirit) that comes from the chronic stress of a toxic work environment.

Workplace violence is a serious concern in nursing and only adds to the already stressful environment. According to the World Health Organization, 8% to 38% of nurses endure physical violence in their nursing career. Unfortunately, verbal abuse and threats are even more common.

Your safety is of utmost importance. If you are experiencing violence at work, consider a job change that is more supportive of your physical, mental, and emotional safety. Depending on your situation, practicing boundaries and self-advocacy will suffice. Other times, you may need to rally support from your coworkers and leadership or call out mistreatment directly.

3. Difficulty Creating New Habits

Building new habits means creating new neural pathways, which is why it can be so tricky to start a new habit. But, you can use that knowledge in your favor! When you switch up your triggers (i.e., visual cue, environment, etc.), you might find you’re more successful at making a new habit stick. Additionally, these neural pathways get stronger with repetition — expect it to take effort in the beginning, then eventually it will become your new normal.

You probably already know the basics of creating new habits — you teach patients how to do new things everyday. Some of those tools you teach patients about can apply here too. Try using an alarm to remind you to journal each morning. Set your running shoes and clothes out the night before, so it’s easier in the morning to go for that jog. Place healthy snacks out on your kitchen counter.

4. Fatigue

When you’re tired, it’s hard to summon the motivation or inspiration to do more things, even if you know it’s good for you. Nursing can be exhausting — a whopping 85% of nurses said they’re jobs made them fatigued. Are you one of them?

Perhaps you can start with physical self-care and actually rest more. Prioritize sleep. Remember, self-care can look a number of ways. If starting a new exercise routine sounds stressful, don’t start there. It’s totally okay (and probably necessary) to start with giving your body more rest.

Nursing Self-Care FAQ

How do I get started taking better care of myself?

The goal of self-care for nurses is to reduce stress, not add to it. Practically speaking, this means start where you can. You do not have to jump into wellness programs for nurses today. Start with what feels easy and approachable, and then build on that. You should feel lighter, happier, supported — not resentful, overwhelmed, or overburdened.

Why is self-care hard for nurses?

Aside from the common barriers, the most straightforward answer is that nurses are tired. Mental fatigue can lead to forgetfulness, lack of motivation, and lower mental capacity to implement changes. There are also logistical issues — like working long shifts and weekends that make it challenging to engage in social activities or hobbies.

What if my unit doesn’t make it feasible to practice self-care?

You know yourself and what you need best. If you’re unable to implement or maintain health and wellness practices in your current nursing role, you may want to consider looking for alternative roles or positions.

The Best Self-Care Hack of All? A Better Job

Sometimes, no amount of self-care for nurses will counteract the stress of a chaotic schedule or toxic work environment. In those instances, you likely need a change. Find out how IntelyCare can hook you up with nursing jobs that meet your needs and match your interests.