Holiday Prep/support and self care for the busy nurse!

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

So with the Holidays looming I thought I would pen a very happy holiday season for all my friends here at Allnurses. 

Like most of you I work a lot. I have 8 hour days 6 days one week and 54 days the next. It's sometimes all I can do to get supper on the table. My husband doesn't cook but he can order out with the best of them so that does help, and with our son pretty much grown and happy to eat "Whatever" as long as it fits his workout regimen I do get a pass on some nights. 

Still I come from a large family with lots of holiday traditions and big meals are one of those. When I host I do the Turkey and have everyone bring a side. This year we will be guests at my sister's house and I was supposed to make the pies however my oven went out and no repair man is available this close to Thanksgiving. I was begining to get really stressed out and decided today to just buy the pies from a local pie house. I will pick them up the night before and bring them to my sister's day of. 

But this got me thinking about how we take a day meant to bring joy and promote family unity and turn it into a nightmare. 

With this in mind I have some self care tips to share. These are not holiday specific but can help to reduce burnout and tension throughtout the year. 

1. Schedule your self care activities: In nursing we use the motto if it isn't charted it isn't done. The same is true for self care in that it will most likely not happen if you don't schedule it. I have been getting massages every other Friday for about six months and highlt recommand it for anyone who is stressed out, in pain or just needs a pamper. You do have to be OK with taking most of your cloths off infrom of a stranger but so worth it. 

2.Practice meditation and journaling: This opens the mind and heart and allows you to get in touch with your higher self. We started this past year incorporating a Cacao ceremony once a week. It's like hot chocolate with a meditative twist. Plus the Theobromine in Chocolate has a way better and longer kick than coffee. You do have to start with ceremonial grade cacao which you can purchase online or you can buy fremented and roasted cacao beans and grind them yourself. You can use a coffee grinder or do it yourself with a mortar and pestal. Either way it's treat and you can add a bit of Cardamom for a very grown up twist. 

There are so many things I could share but just remember that no matter what holiday you are celebrating show gratiude for the past year (even if it wasn't so great) and greet the coming year with hope and promise. 

Happy Yule to all.

Hppy

 

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

My stove is getting moved from storage hopefully tomorrow into my renovated home!!    Contractor hooked up refrigerator past week so defrosting turkey in it as rental house frig tiny --will just retrieve it Thursday morning as only 10 min away.

Wallpaper installer texted me other job not finished so won't start Tuesday as planned  but will start this Thursday.  Sent reply re Thanksgiving can start Friday replied will work "just a little bit" and still have their Turkey.  Painters did baseboard yesterday and 1st coat in Dinning room, told not allowed to move anything in this weekend

Movers planned for 12/2. Chef son took off this week to get dishwasher installed + help me pack up rental house  "so YOUR cooking Turkey this year".  Other son wants cinnamon rolls for desert.  Already moved kitchen wire rack to new pantry closet, so food covering dinning room table --will use tray table.   SOOOoooooo learning to just go with the flow.

Sons told me will not dig Christmas Tree out from back of packed garage.  Saw next door neighbor going all out with his Christmas display this year. His Halloween displays  enormous, hundreds pass by to view.  Brought me joy to look at cell phone pics of past 3 years of his displays since wasn't there.  He told me needed "BIG " wreath for Merry Christmas fence sign; saw one at Hobby Lobby  69% off so grabbed it--added candy canes and dropped it off today.  

So my self-care will be smiling each day as I pass neighbors decorated home, happy to be back in renovated house  + can get back to Holiday routines next year!  Taking joy in the little things keeps my BP low too along with cup of  Sugar Free Hot Chocolate while son has his cup of "Drinking Chocolate".

 

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Dang it.... Plumbers hooked up dual (gas burners/electric oven) stove today... BUT electrical outlet not in right location so unable to  push back into space-- 2/3 out in kitchen pathway.  Son found kitchen sink waterline run across electrical outlet on wall: not to code -sent 40 item punch repair list..  SO contractor has 10 day to fix items.  Turkey still pretty frozen solid in refrigerator, moved to different  open shelf to defrost.

Chef son taking me tomorrow night to see Alton Brown Live: Beyond The Eats—The Holiday Variant! (Food Network fame) to destress.  Great self care activity!!

Hope everyone's Holiday prep going well.