Springtime Wellness

Activities for hospital nurses to participate in for wellness and improved mental health. Nurses Stress 101 Article

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Springtime Wellness

It’s the second week of March and Spring is on its way! Daylight savings is right around the corner, beginning March 13th. With COVID restrictions relaxing and the weather starting to warm up, nurses will be longing to get outside of the hospital and out of the scrubs, masks, face shields and gowns to feel the sun on their skin after months of being cooped up.

A nurse’s health not only affects them, but also the patients they serve with more frequent medication errors and increased falls among patients who are cared for by nurses suffering from depression and/or pain. Nurses work daily with extreme stress and emotional demands which causes sleep disturbances and lack of exercise leading to obesity and other related health problems2.

The longer, warmer days of Spring are a great time to initiate some wellness into your daily routine which will help you take better care of your patients. Enjoying the outdoors, some fresh air, and natural sunlight will give you some extra vitamin D, boost your mood and help regulate your body clock. Here are some great Springtime ideas to get you outside and moving.

Volunteering at a local community park clean up, planting some flowers and helping pick up trash will benefit both your body and mind and make you feel good about contributing to the community while getting exercise and socializing with others.

Learn how to garden! Growing a bountiful garden with fresh vegetables needs only a small amount of space, even utilizing an apartment balcony can give you some fresh tomatoes. Horticultural therapy has real benefits to your mind and body and is successful in helping cope with many psychological and physical disorders such as anxiety and depression.

Gather your friends and start a neighborhood or workplace walking club! Walking boosts creativity by 60%! Get outside and enjoy the sun and warmer, comfortable temperatures, appreciate the Spring flowers starting to bloom, the last of the snow melting, talk with friends about your Summer vacation plans.

The sun will start showing up much earlier once daylight savings begins. Getting up an hour earlier in the mornings will give you more “me” time to enjoy journaling, preparing a healthy lunch incorporating more fruits and vegetables, or walking the dog.  Here is an article on 10 benefits on why getting up earlier is a great habit!

And my favorite Spring activity of all is Spring Cleaning! Starting to put away the Winter boots, coats, and sweaters (unless you live in Florida!) and getting rid of broken or unused items to clean your space. Spring cleaning can make you calm and relaxed, but it also has health benefits . Cleaning away pollen, dust, and dander can reduce allergies and boost immune health, reducing clutter improves mental health, and overall organization prioritizes healthy eating habits.

Teaching about self-care and good nutrition in nursing school may be able to get bedside nurses off to a good start in learning the importance of taking care of themselves both personally and professionally which in turn provides higher quality care and outcomes for patients2.

I hope this gets you excited and looking forward to Spring!

References

CDC.gov., (2021). 8 Strategies for a Healthy Spring.

Letvak, S., (2014) "Overview and Summary: Healthy Nurses: Perspectives on Caring for Ourselves" OJIN

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Sherri Perry APRN

About Sherri Perry APRN, MSN

Sherri Perry is a health content writer and clinical director at CHE Behavioral Health Services. She lives in Florida, where it’s summertime all year round, with her husband Al, daughter Ruby and 2 labs.

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).

In my off hours I spend a lot of time in my tard a garden. I have two terrific dogs and grow fruits and veggies as well as tropical orchids and bromeliads. Today I augmented my green house boxes with coconut fiber. I also spent some time learning about bees. I want to try using these busy little pollinators to improve my plant yields but need to fine the right type of solitary (non hive forming) bees. These type of bees are not aggressive and generally do not sting. 

I am trying to become a bit more nature centered in my old age.

 

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Specializes in mental health, geriatrics, LTC, business.

I love hearing this! I also have two dogs (yellow lab and black lab) and we love to be outside working in the yard. Even though the weather is usually pretty great all year round in Florida, springtime is especially nice! 

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Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
Just now, Sherri Perry APRN said:

I love hearing this! I also have two dogs (yellow lab and black lab) and we love to be outside working in the yard. Even though the weather is usually pretty great all year round in Florida, springtime is especially nice! 

My dogs are both rescues you can see pics in the animal lovers. I work in a high stress psych unit and find that if I can get my hands into the dirt a few times a week a lot of my stress fades away.  I can usually grow something year round in Southern California but Spring and Summer are for fresh fruits and veggies. 

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