Combating Stress in Healthy Ways

If you’re anything like me, you get stressed very easily. I know that the majority reading this may be stressed due to nursing school. So here are some personal ways that I like to deal with my own stress, and hopefully, one of them might spark your interest and help you conquer not just your stress but your anxieties.

My first suggestion is to start balancing your time. Timing is so important, and if you are able to manage your time and set yourself a schedule, you will have less stress and anxiety. But I’m not going to bore you with those details when you can easily go check out Nightingale’s two blogs about time management. Read Time Management Part 1. Read Time Management Part 2.

My second suggestion is volunteer work. It makes me feel good about myself that I’m helping out where there is a need. There are plenty of places in the community that are looking for a helping hand, like St. Anne’s Homeless Shelter (801-621-5036), or Safe Harbor Crisis Center (801-660-6104). It’s amazing what volunteering can do for your soul.

The third option I would recommend is an obvious choice- exercise. Exercise is known to get those “happy” endorphins flowing. Plus, it gets you looking good. Let’s be honest, we ALL feel better about ourselves when we are working out regularly and eating healthy. Take your aggression and stresses out on a punching bag or a good cycling class. Lifting weights always makes me feel more powerful and more in control, which is great for me because sometimes in life I feel like I’m utterly out of control in certain situations. I also love doing yoga after work, especially hot yoga. It gets out all of those toxins and relaxes me for bed time.

Lastly, one of my all-time favorite ways to soothe my nerves and unwind during a stressful time in my life is to work in my yard. This might sound weird, but I LOVE pulling weeds. There is something therapeutic in pulling up all of the ugly things to make room for the pretty things. I guess it’s kind of like a metaphor for me in that I try to do the same thing with all of the negativity in my life- weed it out. I like to grow things by my own hand and create life where there was none. There are so many rewards to it- delicious fruits and vegetables and beautiful flowers. Growing your own produce can go hand in hand with your new exercise routine.

I hope nursing school on top of regular life isn’t stressing you out too much, but if it is, try to find healthy outlets that let you vent and relax. There are many activities that you can do to give your mind a break from hectic schedules and life mishaps. Don’t forget, you WILL get through this, and you WILL succeed. Take on that attitude, and you can do anything you put your mind to.

Author: Amanda Shoemaker