Any tips on how to prevent day after shift energy drop?

Nurses New Nurse

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Over my days off, it just seems to take me DAYS to get rested up for a shift. Then I do one or two, and the next day, I am absolutely worthless.

I just have NO energy the day after a shift, especially day shift where my brain is into overdrive for 12 hrs straight.

Anything I can do to prevent it?

I do tend to want to stay up a little later on the nights after a shift. Just vegging in front of the TV watching movies is so therapeutic and it's how I relax. But then I tend to stay up too late and with a 6 year old at home, I have to be up early the next day.

I'm wondering if there are any other ways to keep my energy levels up for the next day where I'd like to resume my life and work out, do housework, do my daily activities.

Maybe it's impossible and I just need to let myself be unproductive for a day until I bounce back -- but I hate that.

I know how you feel. When I started orientation I forced myself to work out on my days off. No matter how busy my prior shift was nor how I late I stayed after to finish charting etc, I forced myself to stay up for only about an hour after I got home and then I would set my alarm for 0600 the next morning. I dragged myself to the gym for an early spinning class. For about the first month I would get home from spinning and be totally wiped out with no energy to do anything. I would take a nap then just lounge around the house. Then slowly I started to notice that had more energy after spinning...Now I very rarely have a day that I am totally wiped out after working...and I've also lost 15 pounds to boot woohoo! Take it slowly, don't expect changes overnight, the more you exercise the more energy you'll have.....

I agree with mattsmom - exercise is the key and turn off the tv. :D

Get outside with your 6 year old too.

It is very hard . . .I know . . but it does work.

steph

Specializes in OBGYN, Neonatal.

Thanks for posting this s.o.m., I was thinking it was just me and that maybe I was just too fluffy, or something LOL but seriously I don't know what is wrong with me! Granted, I have some medical issues - type I diabetes, joint pain, back problems with hx of surgery x 2, connective tissue disorder and I'm only 31 and a half LOL! But...seriously on my days off I'm a zombie for a while.

And when I get home from a shift I'm exhausted and my body is sore. I will stay up late, like now its 1am and I woke up at 550am for work (slept in, normally I wake up at 530am). Anyway, its nice to know that I"m not alone. I have a two and a half year old son who I love to spend my days with and I keep him home from daycare when I'm off work so I want more energy to do things with my baby boy! He sleeps in late so that helps mommy but still it would be nice to do some fun stuff with him and have energy, instead it takes me a few hours of lounging around in my jammies before I can get up the energy to leave the house.

Im' sure I need to add exercise and I need to add water (I'm a diet soda junkie). But hopefully in time by adding these things I can become more energetic! :yeah::yeah:

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