Happy International Nurses Day !

The anticipated rolling out of the Covid-19 vaccines have made it just in time to celebrate a second Nurses Week during the Covid-19 pandemic. If it was not clear before, it is very clear now after a year of fighting a global pandemic that nurses and other healthcare workers are and always will be vital heroes, but being a hero doesn’t necessarily make you superhuman. The toll this pandemic has taken on healthcare workers is heavy and deep so the best way to celebrate Nurses Week is to acknowledge the hardships and challenges nurses around the world have faced and offer resources to better equip them to continue the fight. Below are compiled suggestions that could be taken to alleviate the strain Covid-19 has brought on nurses.

1. Stay Connected: With social distancing measures put in place along with the fear of spreading the virus, it is easy to feel isolated. Staying connected with a support system can help de-stress and lift your spirits. It is easier to face challenges when you know that you are not facing it alone. Although physical contact is not always possible, texting, calling, or video calling your loved ones is important at a time like this. Other people could be the safe outlet a person needs to be able to let out their frustrations and negative emotions.

2. Do Something For You: What treating yourself looks like is different for each individual but it is important to take time to do something for yourself. Nurses are constantly doing things for others so remember to put yourself first once in a while. This can be taking time to exercise, sleeping in, ordering food instead of cooking. Whatever makes you feel at peace, you have to make sure to set aside time to do. It is important for your mental and physical wellbeing to take care of yourself as well.

3. Remind Yourself of What You Can Control and What You Can’t Control: Oftentimes stress stems from what you can’t control. If you remind yourself once in a while that there are just some aspects of the job that are out of your hands, it is one less thing to dwell on. This is all about mindset and mindfulness. It is easy to feel out of control in this position during these times but staying in the moment will help ground you. In order to cope with Covid, you can utilize your coworkers, employers, and medical professionals as resources. What is in your control is how you react to things that aren’t in your control.