At Pulse Nursing at Home, we understand the importance of looking after your mental health and wellbeing. Whether you're a nurse or support worker, your mental health matters.
Caring for individuals, particularly those with complex care conditions, can be highly rewarding. However, when your work is focusing on caring for someone else, it's important to remember to look after yourself. Here is a list of top tips to help you look after your mental health and wellbeing:
Take regular breaks
Remember to take regular breaks throughout your shift. It’s important to allow your mind to rest and recharge. You will find that when you return, you will be able to do so with more focus. If you are undertaking manual tasks, it is important to let your body relax. A simple tea break can make such a difference to your working day!
Speak to your manager
Support comes in many forms, by taking charge of your thoughts, recognising your feelings and speaking to someone, you may find that a shared problem halves. Remember, your manager is there for you, and it’s their responsibility to give you support when you need it. A simple conversation can make such a difference and help you to feel at ease.
Work-life balance
Mentally switching off after leaving work will allow you to feel refreshed and ready for the day ahead. Whether you take a few days of annual leave to have a holiday with your family and friends or spend some time with yourself by doing something you love, it’s important to know when to take a break. Sometimes getting stuck into some fun and engaging activities can make a huge difference to your mood.
Sleep
Sleep is a very important factor that often gets affected. Getting to sleep at a decent time the day before your shift will help you to feel more awake and rested for the next day. Try to establish a sleep routine that works for you and your lifestyle. Limiting your daily caffeine intake and not consuming any at least seven hours before you go to bed is also very important. Try to remember to turn off any of your electrical devices at least one hour before you go to bed. They can be very distracting and are often the reason for not being able to fall asleep quickly.
Exercise
Exercising regularly is so important for your mental and physical health. It can easily improve your mood and increase your overall energy. Remember to check in with yourself and take some time to recognise when you’re not feeling your best. If you can, try to take a break during your shift and do some exercise, even a short walk can break up your day and recharge your energy and focus.
Eat and hydrate
Hunger can adversely affect your mood and judgement, remember to eat a balanced meal before your shift and make sure you have a break. It’s important to always stay hydrated. Water is one of the most effective ways of keeping your body moving and energised. Feeling fatigued during a shift is the last thing you want, so make sure to utilise your breaks to fuel and hydrate your body.
Reach out
Your phone is a great way to communicate with people, sometimes a simple “hello, how are you?” message or a quick phone call to a loved one can make such a difference. Communication is a simple yet very effective thing. Don’t be afraid to get in touch with a loved one, even if it’s to get some advice from them or just to have a chat, you will be making a difference to their day as well your own.
As a society, we often dismiss our mental health and wellbeing. By listening to yourself and taking note of how you feel, you may be able to anticipate a future problem and prevent it from happening.
If talking to somebody outside of your immediate circle seems like a good solution for you, there are a variety of organisations who have a team of staff and the resources to help. The mental health charity, Mind, works nationwide to provide advice and support to anybody dealing with mental health difficulties. They have also produced a fantastic PDF about looking after your mental wellbeing.
At Pulse Nursing at Home, we are always invested in the mental health of our employees. We have a variety of support structures in place to ensure that everyone feels they have somewhere to turn and somebody to talk to. If you are a Pulse Nursing at Home employee and would like to speak to someone, please contact our supervision and appraisal team on SupervisionAppraisalteam@ukics.com
If you are a nurse or support worker looking to join our community and want to help us deliver the best complex care to our clients, please contact our team on 0207 959 1003 or register with us today here.