What do you do to stay sane? :?

[Summers3]

I am in the beginning of my program and already is feeling the impact. No time for anything but school now. Feels like ripping out my hair every day. So I was just wondering getting feedback from you guys, what do you do to de-stress? How often?

And when it gets worse (like at work, relationship problems, family/friends problems all with the extremely heavy workload of school!!!) especially when everything happens at once and it piles up........ These are just random examples I threw out but if you find yourself begin to question your sanity at that point but what do you guys even do to get through something like this? how do you deal with the emotional conflicts when you are at the point of "feather breaking the camel's back"?

So basically......... how do you stay sane? :)

I am not near that level of emotional conflict yet but I want to hear some advice just so I can refer back to if I do happen to get to that level.

Thanks!

[kimmy20]

It's perfectly normal to feel like that! I started nursing school thinking it would be manageable but I found myself struggling hard! I was stressing out like crazy and feeling like a complete idiot. If I wasn't in class I was studying and I basically lived at the library. Other than my classmates, my friends and family don't know what it's like to be a nursing student and how hard it is. My mental and physical well being was not in a good state and I had to do something about it if I wanted to make it through. After asking one of my instructors for advice she referred me to a mental health advisor (free resource provided by the university) and she definitely helped. She was basically a therapist and we worked on de-stressing exercises. She suggested I should start doing a hobby I use to do and with no excuse, do it no matter what. I use to love running and I stopped because of school and being busy but I started to make time for running again and found myself to be a lot more relaxed and focused again. When I'm feeling stressed I take a break and head to the gym to run a couple of laps and then resume studying again. Hope this helps and good luck!

[nlitened]

Definitely find something you enjoy doing that will get your mind off of all your worries. Like PP, I enjoy running. It is a huge stress reliever, and I can just clear my mind. Also, I like to clean. So sometimes I take it out on the countertops;)

But never underestimate a good cry. If you are feeling overwhelmed or frustrated, sometimes it helps and then you move on.

[datalore]

I really like working out, I really like to crochet, and I really like video games. I work out every day before class, and I treat myself to an hour or two of video games and/or crochet on the weekend. That's a really specific example, but in general I would say, if what you like doing can be done daily because it's easy/quick/healthy, do that as many days as you can and build it into your routine (a cup of tea? music? yoga? a walk? 20 minutes of reading fashion blogs? anything.) If it's a time-suck and frivolous like my games and crochet, find a day to enjoy it in moderation, and make sure to do it each week.

[Summers3]

Thank you for all your replies, everyone! I'm glad it is normal to feel crazy every other day while in school, lol. But being under nonstop pressure like that for years at a time is just leading to burnout fast! But thank you for replying with your suggestions for me!

I'll definitely keep them in mind when I feel myself just losing it again. If you have anymore suggestion/advice, please continue to post them!

Thanks again! :)

[Summers3]

Kimmy20, thank you so much for your post.

Your post pretty much described me. I'm struggling with clinicals especially at this given time but classes are not that far behind..... and to mention that next semester will even more time consuming and harder than now! So i'm stressing about that too. And of course, I obsviously have no life and fels like the most stupid person in the class (seriously, i really really really do at times). So like you said, my mental and physical well being is taking a hit at the moment.... I hope it'll get better soon too.

Thank you for your post!

I'm glad things are going much better for you. And I hope I get there myself as well. :)

[Summers3]

Dear nlitened,

Thank you for your post! Yes, I actually do find crying somewhat of a therapeutic thing since it just helps me clear all my crazy emotions at the current time and helps me move on to tomorrow.

Thank you for your post. :)

[Summers3]

Dare datalore,

Thanks for your post!

I'll definitely keep it in mind as i go through this crazy semester. I truly do hope it'll be better from here on out.

THanks again. :)

[RorySeiter]

Running, swimming, and fly fishing.

[queserasera, RN]

I get everything I need to do (Attending Lecture, Lab, reading & studying) done between 8am-5pm Monday-Friday so I don't have to think about school at night or on the weekends. It's really hard work because I have to get a lot done in only 45 hours a week. But it is a glorious feeling knowing the weekend before a big exam I don't have to freak out and cram.

In that free time I love playing with my dog, video gaming, reading and running.

[Summers3]

Thank you for all your posts, please keep them coming! :)

[windsurfer8, BSN, RN]

Life is stressful. You want the big time you have to learn to take the pain. Medical field degrees require more commitment. That is the bottom line. I have a bachelors in business admin and my BSN. Getting my BSN required much more actual work. There is a REASON nurses make decent money. It is challenging work and things can go wrong QUICK. Use the challenge of nursing school to develop a mentality of getting the job done...no matter WHAT. Accept you cannot go out every weekend. You must study more than many other degrees. That is fact. We are talking life and death situations. Not to mention the financial devastation from something like a sentinel event. This stuff is no joke. I know people like to joke about being a nurse, but it is serious serious business. Build good work habits now. Attention to detail is a major part of nursing. Good luck!