After a tough shift, or after a tough day, how do you wind down?
I thought we might throw our ideas out there and maybe inspire each other!
Let's see:
1. I get home at midnight, and this is perfect weather for a cup of decaf herbal tea and a snack. Of course, if I skipped the snack, maybe I'd drop a few pounds, but I'm HUNGRY when I get home!
2. Surf a few fave sites; facebook, allnurses, etc. What are yours?
3. Bury myself in brainless fiction. And yes I still read under the covers with a flashlight as my DH is sound asleep by the time I get home.
4. Once school is out, I've got my shows saved on DVR and I'm going to have a marathon TV vege-out in front of the tube day!
when I'm working at the nursing home, i'm so tired when I hit the door, I drink something, eat a light snack, and read until I fall asleep.
When it's the hospital, I jump on the internet, browse a few sites, have a snack or a real breakfast. then read or watch tv until bed.
Getting away from work for a while is great.
for GF birthday this week, I'm planning to take her to chitown tomorrow to see the lights. Tues is some kind of dinner with the fam, and present exchanges. Doing stuff with family and friends is nice to help decompress and remind us why we do this.
Specializes in Emergency, Critical Care Transport.
My iPod is on when I walk to/from the hospital. Music is fabulous.
Exercise is key. I still don't get what I used to (school does that), but instead of riding my bike 20 mi/day, I do yoga, row, walk/power walk and some weight lifting.
Red wine. One to two glasses of the good stuff. No more.
I have a wicked sense of humor from my time working in emergency medicine, although arguably it's genetic. It keeps me going.
I have a ten-mile drive, so I often spend that time in the car with the radio on and singing as LOUD as I possibly can! I can't carry a tune in a bucket, but the absurdity of screaming out "Wild Thing" all alone in the car at eleven PM is usually good for some stress-relieving laughter.
Depending on the shift, I'll also do a lot of talking to God---not formal prayer, just chatting with Him as if He were riding shotgun. Which He is.:)
I will usually purposefully go for a drive. Alot of the time I'll stop and get a fancy coffee or a slushi, depending on my mood, and I'll drive around the city in the dark and scream out the lyrics to the songs on my ipod.
locolorenzo22, BSN, RN
2,396 Posts
when I'm working at the nursing home, i'm so tired when I hit the door, I drink something, eat a light snack, and read until I fall asleep.
When it's the hospital, I jump on the internet, browse a few sites, have a snack or a real breakfast. then read or watch tv until bed.
Getting away from work for a while is great.
for GF birthday this week, I'm planning to take her to chitown tomorrow to see the lights. Tues is some kind of dinner with the fam, and present exchanges. Doing stuff with family and friends is nice to help decompress and remind us why we do this.