My five go-to ways to ‘recharge’ on your day off!
Today I’m sharing my favorite tips to help ‘reset and recharge’ on your day off. These are my tried and true tips after a long day or challenging week. I hope they help you manage your schedule and keep up with the demands of a high hospital census!
Let’s say you just finished a grueling 12 hour shift. Or maybe you just finished three twelves in a row, on nights! Ugh. You’re probably exhausted and feeling like all you want to do is sleep.
Instead of hiding under the covers until it’s time to head back to the hospital, focus on what can reset and recharge you. These steps will ensure you are fresh and ready for the rest of the week. And if you like what you read, check out my FREE Training: The 4 Habits Every Nurse needs to Survive Their Next Shift!
One: Move your Body
This could be something as simple as stretching while your morning coffee brews. If you foam roll, you could focus on rolling out a few tight areas.
The upper back, between the shoulder blades, and the hip flexors are great places to start. Sitting at a computer when charting makes these areas super tight, and chances are, your posture isn’t always the best by the end of a shift. Rolling out those tight areas always feels great.
Here are a couple of foam roller options. The first is fairly basic, but it gets the job done and is long enough to help roll out both shoulders at once.
This roller is the same one I use at home. It has textured nubs to really get into any tight muscles. If you are new to foam rolling, this particular roller (and some others) come with an ebook full of exercises to get you started! Bonus: it’s available in an array of colors.
- If you’re feeling really ambitious you could even sign up for a yoga class at a nearby studio. There are also amazing free options on YouTube of flows you can do in pajamas, in the comfort of your living room. Full body movement is a great way to recharge.
Takeaway:
Just gently moving your body (in a purposeful way) as soon as you wake up is a great start to your day!
Two: Hydrate to Recharge
I’m not sure about you, but there isn’t always a lot of downtime at work. We hardly get a chance to sit long enough to eat something, let alone drink from our gigantic water bottles. Somehow we so optimistically bring them to work with us.
The days I am in the OR, I usually have to call someone in to give me a break so I can pee, or try to hold it until I’m between cases. I think I subconsciously dehydrate myself doing this.
That’s why it’s important to hydrate as much as possible on your days off. Plain tap water works fine, but I like to put lemon slices in my water if I’m feeling fancy (and if I have lemons in the fridge). Ensuring you are hydrating and your electrolytes are in balance will help recharge you!
I have these great water bottles with a separate ‘basket’ for fruit, so you can make your own spa water. My go to infusion is sliced strawberries and a few mint leaves! The variety keeps my tastebuds happy and the spill proof top is great for on the go!
I found these water bottles online and they are really great for making your own flavors of infused water. You can find them on Amazon or at Bed Bath and Beyond. Bonus, if you have any BB&B coupons lying around, it’s an even better deal!
If you are looking for a fancy infuser, try the one below! It’s a beautiful rose gold and it comes with an insulation sleeve to keep your water perfectly chilled!
However you jazz up your water, try to avoid the sugary mix-ins or concentrated ‘fruit’ drops. Those aren’t going to do much to help you recharge or feel re-energized.
Takeaway:
You’ve been working hard and are likely more dehydrated than you realize. Make your water fun and flavorful so you will be more inclined to drink it! Hydration helps battle fatigue and keeps your skin glowing.
Three: Recharge with Self Care & Pampering
You are likely showering anyway (I hope), so why not take a few extra minutes to do something that makes you feel great. I love a nice face mask, a hydrating body scrub, or even an indulgent hand treatment.
With all the recycled air and lack of humidity at the hospital, (not to mention the drying hand sanitizers we use all the time), our skin is often dry and itchy.
Show yourself a little extra attention with some fancy moisturizers. They don’t take up my entire day, or break the bank and they make a noticeable difference too!
Here are some fun face masks I love! If you have oil or acne prone skin, this clay mask with TeaTree oil is perfect for breakout prone skin without being overly drying. The relaxing ‘mask time’ can certainly help you rest and recharge while giving you skin benefits!
If you workout a lot, and have sweaty skin, I really love the Fre Detox Me Face Mask. It’s perfect for first thing in the morning (while doing your yoga) and feels just as pampering in a nice bubble bath at night! Bonus, use my code ‘DTT’ for a discount!
Obviously it’s a nice option to go to the spa or make a nail appointment. If you’re short on time (or short on cash) an at-home face mask or scrub is a great way to feel rested and recharged. Taking a few extra minutes to put on some luxurious lotion afterwards and really let it soak into your skin can take it to the next level.
Takeaway:
Your skin needs a little TLC. With the ingredients you probably have in your kitchen you can whip up a concoction to have you looking and feeling amazing!
Four: Rearrange Your To-Do List
Who doesn’t have a to-do list that’s a mile long waiting for you on your day off? If you find that you are overwhelmed and stressed out by a daunting list of things to do, just pause.
Re-organize and re-prioritize your list into sections. Start with the top three things you must do for the day. Then write down three things that would be nice to accomplish for the day.
Keep the remainder of the items (or loose ends) on your list, but a bit further down. Put it in a section labelled “if there’s time”.
Start by focusing on the most important, pressing issues on your list (those top 3 must-do’s) and cross them off as you go. Stay focused! Don’t deviate from the top three items and make sure you get those done before distracting yourself, or working on anything else. That means tell yourself no Netflix or Instagram until you get those top 3 items done! I promise it will make a huge difference.
I really like this timer cube to help me stay on track. You can just set it for however long you want to work on something and it lets you know when the time is up. I use this to stay focused on my tasks and to help quickly cross off those to-do’s on my day off. These come in all sorts of colors and time choices to fit your needs!
Keep your list handy!
Either in the notes section of your phone or if you are old school (like me) on actual notepad. Just be sure not to lose it in the bottom of your purse or on a messy desk!
Putting your energy and effort into the most important things first, and making tangible progress can make a huge difference in recharging you. Celebrate the small wins, and every time you cross something off your list, give yourself a pat on the back! It helps keep the momentum going.
Takeaway:
There will always be things ‘to-do’. Making a list of the most pressing items, and focusing on the top three each day will help you prioritize where to spend your time! Taking this approach can help reduce stress and avoid overwhelm! You may even surprise yourself and accomplish more than you anticipated!
Five: Recharge Your Batteries
Figure out how you like to re-energize and reconnect with yourself.
Maybe it’s getting outside for a walk in nature. Perhaps you like to quiet your mind with breath work or meditating.
Journaling is a good way to get lots of thoughts and ideas out from our minds and onto paper. This is particularly helpful if you are dealing with a lot or have too many thoughts on your mind. If you need some journal prompts to get you started, check out these!
Even finding a few minutes to listen to nature sounds (on iTunes or YouTube) can help reduce stress and recharge!
I sometimes find that a phone call to catch up with a distant loved one makes a huge difference. Ever since I became an Aunt, I love using the FaceTime feature on my phone to see my nieces and nephews.
Spending even a few minutes reading a good book (fiction, non-fiction, self help etc) can also help.
Find out what’s important to you and what makes you feel most centered and alive. Then carve out time for that! Maybe you only have a few minutes, or maybe you have an hour or more. Go with that you’ve got. Use whatever time you have available to your advantage!
Takeaway:
Ask yourself, what can you do today to focus on health and wellbeing to ensure you are happy and present. Being centered and recharged will allow you to give your best to yourself and those around you.
I hope these tips are helpful! I try to do each of these things on my days off. At this point, it’s like second nature and I really look forward to the routine. No item really takes that much time to complete and the benefits are amazing!
I know that new routines can sometimes be challenging, but give I hope you’ll give them a try! And I really hope you’ll sign up for my FREE Class: The 4 Habits every Nurse Needs to Survive their Next Shift! It’s a game changer and a these tips will go a long way to helping you have a more productive and less draining shift!
Leave a comment below with your favorite strategies to de-stress!
I'd love to hear your thoughts!