Getting started

I'm in my fourth term of nursing school and one of the complaints I hear often from my fellow nursing students is that they can't find time to eat healthy, there is no time to workout, they are tired all the time, and many of them have put on 10-20 pounds since the beginning of nursing school.  As nurses, we are looked up to and trusted for our advice and teaching.  Teaching does not just involve explaining about a new medication or teaching about how to choose foods low in sodium.  We also teach by example.  If we are trying to teach our patients to workout and choose the right foods, we must also be showing them by example.  But, it's not just that we should be walking the walk and talking the talk, it is important for nurses to take of themselves.  Nurses in general put others first.  We will spend an entire shift without having gone to the bathroom to pee once.  We often sign up to do things for our kids schools, and help friends.  We over extend ourselves and wonder why we are always so tired.  If you don't make the time to take care of yourself now, you will be forced to take time later for an illness or an injury later, guaranteed.  So where do you begin and how do you get started when your schedule is overbooked already?  Trust me, I know how it is because I am there now.  I am in my final term of nursing school.  I have class, clinicals, clinical paperwork, education projects, clinical pathways, QI projects, NCLEX planning, graduation planning and that is just school related.  I also work two 12 hour shifts a week at the hospital and I have a high school son who is active in sports and another who is going to school part time at the local community college and does not have a license so needs mom's taxi service.  Trust me, I get it.  However, I also know what kind of person I turn into when I don't get any time for myself and if I don't get enough sleep.  The easiest thing that takes the least amount of time is choosing to eat right.  I eat the Paleo diet, which I will expound upon more in another blog.   I also workout on average of about 4 days a week right now.   I know for me, when I don't work out and I begin to feel sluggish.  So, back to how you fit in time to take care of yourself.  You have to have a calendar.  It can be in your smartphone, on your computer, on your wall in your kitchen or I use a small pocket size calendar that I keep in my purse.  Write in all your obligations that you have to do, including appointments, school, kids, whatever.  Then look and see if you can block in three 30 minute time slots for yourself to workout.  If you find it difficult to find the time, is there something you can eliminate.  Maybe it's giving up the hour of helping the teacher at school, or getting hubby to watch the kids while you take a walk.  This is your time.  For the next month, schedule in those 3 days a week and let nothing interfere with it.  These times for you should be considered immovable.  Everything else gets scheduled around it.  Each month, schedule your workouts and make that time to take care of yourself.   You deserve to be healthy.