A mental health moment with Nurse Duda
Life moves fast and there’s no chance to just hit pause, shut everyone up, breathe, compile all your thoughts, and then come back to tackle life. Nope, life keeps picking up speed and we just have to just keep up. I can specifically remember feeling like this at the end of every semester through the program. Knowing that everything was on the line, and that there was zero time to waste.
When you feel like there’s no time to breathe, that’s the best time to take a second to breathe. Let some slow air in and give you perspective. There’s always time to breathe.
Nursing school is hard and most people probably won’t understand what you’re going through. Unless they’ve been in this specific situation, people likely won’t know how to help you. And if you get one more text saying, “Oh, it’s only a year,” and “it will be over before you know it!” you might just unzip out of your skin and melt into a puddle.
This time is hard as hell, BUT it’s also the time when you need to figure yourself out. You need to develop a way to cope with stress, while still staying composed – figure out how to manage your time, study enough hours, give enough time to loved ones, and still maintain a healthy mind/body lifestyle.
In this post, I’m sharing some of my little positivity/motivation-themed life hacks for that I’ve incorporated into my daily routine.
Nursing is no joke. And I don’t even mean just the actual physical act of nursing, where you’re standing at someone’s bedside and lifting someone or trying to keep them alive. I mean yes, for the love of God, that is taxing as a mother, and its something I still stress about day and night (and by night I mean in dream shifts where I think all my patients are dying and I don’t remember a single thing from nursing school, and I wake up apologizing to fictional doctors in my room.)
I mean, the whole entire journey of nursing is TOUGH. From the moment you decide to apply to nursing school to the day you get to pin “registered nurse” on your nametag, life is a whirlwind of studying, sweating, and stress diarrhea.
Take the struggle in stride
I do, however, truly believe that every struggle just adds to your armor for your next phase of life. So, no matter where you are in your nursey lifespan, know that you can do this – pay attention to every emotion and every speedbump you run into because the answers to the problems you have now will serve you throughout your career.
So how do you motivate yourself and stay upbeat? I am fortunate enough to have a handful of beyond supportive people in my life. I definitely lean on my people when I know I need it, but I also handle a lot of life’s and nursing’s daily stressors on my own.
I’ve spent a lot of time in the last few years experimenting with the balance of life and nursing. The balance between staying motivated and excited with still enjoying other aspects of life. I’m a pretty enthusiastic person when it comes to life and becoming a nurse and just self-development in general, but even still I’ve found myself losing motivation and quite honestly just getting lazy or down on myself.
What I tell myself
I’m so stressed.
I can’t handle all this.
What the hell did I sign up for?
Nursing school is like really overwhelming.
Is it my final semester yet?
Literally no one understands what I‘m going through.
Why isn’t coffee making me less tired?
I miss my friends and my family and my pet and my bed.
Is it almost time to schedule my NCLEX?
Oh me? I’m fine, disregard the tears, it’s fine.
Okay forreal, none of my friends have a clue what nursing school is like.
Do I really need this second degree to get by in life.
Awe look at all my successful, happy friends going to happy hour, how cute.
How bad do I really, really want to become a nurse?
Can people please stop asking me if I want to go out.. No, I mean yes, but obviously I’m studying.
Can people stop sending pictures of their weird medical problems, no I don’t know what that is.
What I tell the world
“Oh, nursing school is going really GREAT, I can’t wait to be a nurse!!!”
Honestly, this was my exact inner dialogue coming up on my week 8. I was doubting myself about a lot and I feel like everything was already too much to handle and the rest of these 9 months just didn’t seem possible. I desperately needed a boost.
When I hit a slump, I remind myself that it’s okay if these thoughts come and go. But let them do just that – let them come, and then let them pass. Move on to the next thing. I often found myself dwelling on how overwhelmed and stressed and moody and tired I was in the beginning. Until I started realizing that starting nursing school was a big external change, and I would need to match that external change with an effort to change my worldview and patterns of thought.
Prepare yourself for positivity overload
Positivity in the Nursing World
The nurse’s life is crazy, but luckily there are a bunch of great nursing content creators out there who make us all feel seen and heard. They’re also hilarious, and following them kind of makes you feel like you’re in an exclusive club.
Nurse-related Youtube stuff
Nurseblake:
“Nursing School Meltdown”
“Nursing Students After Exams” (which one are you?)
Hey Sean:
“Nursing School Survival”
We love a good podcast
Straight A Nursing:
“Dealing with nursing school stress”
NRSNG:
“Do you feel like this in nursing school?”
Audiobooks: because we don’t have time to read
I have a tough time sitting down and actually reading a physical book and tend to just go the audible route. Personally, it’s so much easier and more fun to put on my headphones and bop around the city while learning something new.
Oh Sh*t, I Almost Killed You! A Little Book of Big Things Nursing School Forgot to Teach You
I read this book when I first was starting on the floor, and Sonja truly made me feel like a much less dumb new nurse and inspired me to keep pushing. I wish I had it when I was in your shoes. She goes in detail what life is like from the moment you enter nursing school, to surviving your orientation, and just the overall down and dirty of life as a new nurse. I found myself laughing out loud and it’s filled with tips and advice from someone who just gets it.
Positivity in the Real World
It’s not always about nursing. Sometimes, the best thing to do is unplug from school life and get inspiration from something new. Talk to someone who’s on a completely different path. Watch a show that’s outside your go-to genre, or check out some new content creators:
“Seek the Owl”
One of the most inspiring people in my life is my soulmate/best friend, Sarah Lorish, who also happens to be my editor of this blog and the person that keeps me from jumping out a window when life gets rough. She is insanely creative, motivated, so supportive, and has the most beautiful soul! We did gymnastics together growing up and have become each other’s person in life. She attended NYU for film school and this was her submission video to get in. (Ps, NYU Tisch School of Arts has an acceptance rate of 19% of 75,000 applicants, I’m still so damn proud of you, Lor.)
[Editor’s note: omg, *blush*]
Seek the Owl is her personal farewell to gymnastics and a metaphor for living a meaningful life.
In the film, Lor demonstrates how her experience in competitive gymnastics taught her passion at an early age and how that pure, honest love for something so young gave her a sense of purpose and helped her develop a personal philosophy that she shares with viewers. Seeking the owl is discovering your natural gifts and searching for the thing in life that will make you truly happy. For Lor, it’s finding something that lights her heart on fire the same way gymnastics did.
I had spent a fair share of time in life feeling lost and confused with what path I was meant to take, but it’s starting to become clearer. I guess I could say that I am seeking my owl in nursing and helping others. Check it out and I promise, you’ll be in pursuit of your owl, too!
“Average of 5”
According to the law of averages, they say we equal the average of the 5 people we spend the most time with. Of course, take that with a grain of salt, but it does remind you to take a close look at who you choose to let in your circle. It’s no doubt that when you start spending a lot of time with someone, you start picking up their mannerisms, whatever they may be. [Editor’s note: yes, after Duda lived with me for a whole summer, I picked up her habit of saying words or phrases twice for emphasis when I’m anxious. “Great, Great. This is so bad, THIS IS SO BAD.” It’s been a joy bringing that into a professional career.
During nursing school, I got really picky about who I shared my time with – for this reason alone. I wanted to align myself with people who constantly picked me up and for whom I could do the same. I realized I need to be around people who use positive self-talk and believed in being happy and making the best of every situation. I wanted people who made me excited about my future and about life in general.
Envision the person you want to be, and accept the idea of letting some people drift if they don’t align with your vision. Your personal space is precious – especially right now. Don’t spend time with people that are negative or down on themselves, that shit will stick to you. It’s a simple but important decision to change just by hanging around the right people.
“Ten Thousand Hours“
They say it takes 10,000 to become great at something. Let this be a reminder of your journey and that every hour you put into learning how to become a nurse will pay off in the end. The day you walk across the stage and get pinned with your BSN degree may be one of your proudest moments because you will know what it took to get there. While no one else may truly get your effort, you do. These 10,000 hours are yours, so make the best out of each and every one of them.
My dude, Case Kenny.
Want an email sent to you Monday and Friday that will inspire and motivate you to be the person you want to be? Subscribe to the PRSUIT email list. I started reading his emails and listening to his podcast just as nursing school was ending for me. This guy has such down to earth, practical advice that I really take to heart.
The emails are super easy to read (or skim if that’s your style) and he has a very authentic, practical perspective on life. I love the tips and reminders to improve my life right now. These emails are a great reminder to slow down and remember that your happiness and growth are just as important as everything else.
New mindset, who dis?
My man, Case, also hosts a podcast that I listen to religiously. The episodes are shorter – 20 mins or so and the focus is not just on changing external components of your life, but that shift in mindset that will change everything. Honestly, it’s like listening to a buddy; he makes me laugh out loud and reminds me not to take life so damn seriously all the time.
I can’t express how important it is to surround yourself with positivity and motivation on a consistent basis. Go on a binge or listen to an episode daily! To get you started, I picked out a few episodes that can relate to where you are right now that I think you should check out!
Promise yourself this..
It gets harder before it gets easier
Ya gotta be best homies with yourself
Hello Fresh
Nutrition is so important. Duh, as nurses we know that, but tend to replace that good healthy eating with junk food, take out, or microwave meals. For those of you that feel like you have no time to eat healthy because nursing school is consuming your life, I recommend considering something like this! I started using it in my own personal life and I’m doing a lot better now that I’m no longer eating brownies for breakfast!
Click here for $40 toward your first box!
I’m actually learning how to cook, and maybe soon I’ll be able to make edible eggs and waffles. [Editor’s note: Oh, GOD. It’s a long story, and we’ll get to it eventually, but sometimes your best friend poisons you with homemade waffles and then you have to go to work and everyone thinks you’re hungover. Sometimes, that just happens.
Take some time this week to breathe and focus on yourself. If you don’t take time for your own mental health, you will never be able to give 100% as a student or a nurse. Commit to these habits just as strongly as your others and I promise you will live a happy and healthier lifestyle. Keep going, and please feel free to reach out if you’re stuck! You guys have got this, stay positive my friends!
Xoxo, Lindsey ♡
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