As a nurse, you’re all about everybody else’s problems. With all the things we do and the limited time that we have to do them, burnout is a common occupational hazard. You can’t always regulate overload at work, but you can increase your tolerance for it by taking care of yourself.  If you feel out of control, undervalued and too busy, or if you always put others’ needs before your own, it’s time to find some time and space to recharge yourself.

Perhaps you find taking “me time” difficult because you feel guilty or believe it’s selfish. We tend to view taking care of ourselves as a luxury, even somehow morally wrong.  In fact, taking time for yourself is anything but selfish. Nursing is tough, demanding work. If you don't take time to rejuvenate, eventually you won't have much self left.  And you can't give what you don't have.

When you take care of yourself you become happier, calmer, and more generous.  Far from affecting your job performance negatively, “me time” makes you faster, more productive, and more efficient.

Personal time is also important because it reminds you that you're not your work. If you dash ceaselessly from one task to the next without doing anything you personally enjoy, life ceases to be rewarding and becomes a dreary struggle. Shift your focus to something totally different, if only for a very short time, and you’ll renew your energy and focus.

So how do you press that “off” button?  It doesn’t have to happen at someone else's expense.  Plan carefully and schedule an entire day or evening just for you. Tell everyone you're unavailable.  Even brief breaks, 15 minutes or so, are worthwhile if you do something that brings you joy.  It's not how much time you take for yourself, but how frequently and consistently you take that time.

Consider your motivations and values.  Determine what you really want to do. “Me time” will be just one more chore until you explore your own ideas to find something that truly renews you.  Maybe instead of meditation or a walk on the beach, a scary movie or live music is what jazzes you.  Once you know what works, you’ll find yourself arranging your life to make time for it, just as if it were food or sleep.

Where do you find the time?  Simplify your life wherever possible.  Make a list of the things you merely tolerate and cut them out of your day.  Resist the urge to be productive during your “me time.”  Don't spend it folding laundry or washing the car. Your well-being is a higher priority.

Making time for yourself is an art.  Like every art, it requires practice.  But if you don't captain your own ship, someone else will.  Don't let others determine the quality of your life; take charge yourself.  Remember, nobody is looking out for you—except you.

By Alison Darrow
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