10 Mental Health Tips for Nurses During the COVID-19 Outbreak
During a time that may feel out-of-control for many nurses, it’s important to take control of our mental health and try our best to focus on self-care when away from work. You owe it to yourself to intentionally control how you spend time away from work and where you place your thoughts in-between shifts.
After returning home from work, most nurses must quarantine themselves, giving them few outlets to deal with the heavy mental load required of them in the workplace.
It is definitely not a reassuring time for nurses. And, many of us might feel as if a tsunami of COVID-19 patients could overwhelm us at any moment. Here are 10 ways to manage feelings of anxiety and overwhelm as we tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Take a break from COVID-19 by not watching the news or social media
- Video chat with friends and family
- Get outdoors
- Watch funny movies
- Try free online yoga & meditation
- Eat nutritious, immune-boosting foods
- Talk to a therapist or other health care staff who can understand you struggle
- Practice gratitude
- Ask for what you need
- Remind yourself, and others, that we will get through this
