These are the activities that cover our to-do lists and planners week after week, and it can seem like we can never catch a moment to just sit and breathe for once. Nursing school will probably be one of the busiest times in your life, and if you're not feeling super overwhelmed already: you will eventually. This blog post will delve into advice on how to de-stress - because how can we learn to help others when we can't help ourselves.
In my experience, the number one thing that helps me de-stress from the horrors of nursing school is working out. I have turned into that girl who will show up at the gym at 4:30 am when it opens, just to get in a half hour lifting session and then start studying. Blasting music in my headphones, having my own secluded area because the gym is basically empty, and feeling my body getting sore all help me bring my mind to a better space. To me, once I really form a passion for working out, there's no greater feeling than your muscles being sore after lifting.
Another thing that everyone does to relieve stress is to vent to friends. This tactic is especially helpful when you are venting to friends who are in similar situations as you. If your nursing school experience is anything like mine, there is no shortage of people at school waiting to unleash all of their problems to those who would understand and be willing to offer sound advice. This creates the experience of knowing that you are not alone in your problems, and through conversation you might be able to find new ways of fixing your issues that you might not have thought of before.
"We're all in the same boat, so hop in"
You really had to see that specific video to really appreciate the cheesiness of the delivered message - but it is still quality material that is valuable to everyday life. No one is alone in their stresses or problems, and there is always someone there to help.
Be open and honest with faculty members. I know that in my nursing program that all of the professors are very willing to listen and assist anyway they can. Personally, I have spent time in a few teacher's offices searching for advice on various problems that have arose during that particular semester. I've also shamelessly shed a tear or two in front of faculty teachers. It's real, it's honest, and it's going to happen because nursing school is a difficult journey.
Remember why you started. It can be extremely easy to get flustered in the moment and lose sight of why you are in nursing school working your butt off. Take a moment before you fall asleep to really reflect on why you entered nursing school. I truly believe that nursing is a passion, and that people are called to serve as nurses. There is a reason why you chose to sign up for 2 or 4 years of school to work 12 hour shifts for patients that won't remember your name. A generic reason is because they may not remember your name, but they will remember how you helped them when they needed it the most. No one sits in a hospital bed on a Wednesday night and thinks, "Gee, I was hoping I'd spend my week here."
The story that always has inspired me to push through the difficult nursing student nights is the story of my prematurity. I've mentioned it once or twice in previous posts, but I was born three months premature and weighed one pound, ten ounces at birth. I had a trach for oxygen to be delivered into my lungs, which caused my vocal chords to scar and create a raspy voice. I developed completely healthy: I do not have learning disabilities, I am not physically handicapped, I can learn, read, write, walk, think, and speak independently and I do not have any chronic conditions. 22 years ago, I survived for a reason. That reason is so much bigger than me working in a cubicle - I believe that I am meant to go out into the world and pay it forward by working in a health care setting to help people in their most vulnerable states.
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| Me in my NICU isolette |
In order to truly remember why you started, you have to reflect within yourself. Once you rediscover this reason, you will find natural motivation to dry your tears, get some sleep to restart the next day, and make your dreams a reality. Everyone is meant to do something great in their lives, and the hard work is worth the journey.
Remember or find your end goal. It can be extremely easy to feel as though the end is never going to come for nursing school. As soon as one semester ends you either get a few weeks or months off, then start again with a whole new specialty to learn. The weeks blend together, and you're so sick of pulling into your school's parking lot because you feel like that's your new home. [You basically live there anyway]. Pulling yourself aside to view the big picture can help remove any frustrations you may feel about being "stuck in nursing school." You are only four semesters away of achieving a dream that can literally take you anywhere around the world. You can do it. Everyone believes in you.
We are all human, we all have emotions that bubble up to the surface, and we are all nursing students. Stress happens on a daily basis, but it is up to each individual to decide how they are going to cope with their own stress. You can allow it to consume you on a daily basis, or you can implement ways to let it roll off your back so you can keep trudging forward. After your time in school you will have earned such an amazing accomplishment, you will feel so proud, and you will also completely forget the horrors of nursing school.
Hopefully these brief tips help you as the semester begins with de-stressing and allow you to become closer to reaching your life passion.
Thank you so much for reading, I really appreciate it!
- Michelle
#BSNbabe
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