Stamina, fitness & CRNA stress--how do you manage?

[Toby's mum]

What steps do you take to remain healthy and fit so you can adequately handle the stress of the CRNA responsibilities and maintain the stamina that's required?

Thanks!

[trav2CRNA]

Everyone I know in my class has gained weight, experienced depression, anxiety, headaches or frequent sickness. Mostly from stress but also lack of exercise, lack of sleep and poor diets (no $$).

Theres always the weekends for exercise i guess but i do need to clean, groceries and see other human beings for my sanity.

you have to compromise. and you need to learn to de-stress. my advice is to make friends with classmates. they give great advice on CRNA preceptors but its also nice to have people to vent to and they understand. and of course of the feeling of comradery

[MoLee228]

Anesthetists have to find a outlet for stress somewhere; some drink, do drugs, overeat, etc--exercise is healthier.

By the way, I am over 65 and have been doing anesthesia almost 44 years and the stresses of the profession are still there, so learn how to deal with them early.

Yoga CRNA

Interesting that you say that...I just had an interview for a CRNA program and one of their first questions was how do I handle stress and what is my outlet for reducing stress. For me it is my animals (including riding my horses, which counts as exercise in my book) :)