There’s one common factor in all nursing careers: hard work, and lots of it. There are tough sides and good sides, explaining the reasons for 12-hour shifts to your feet, and laughing your head off at some little kid with a grin on her face.

The other side is making some space for yourself. All work and no play doesn’t make you dull (you don’t have the time and you’re in the wrong place for “dull” anyway), but there’s a mold effect, a conditioned state of mind.

You may not be able to go on holiday any time you feel like it, but you can create some personal time and space with a bit of planning. This is more time management than anything, just leaving some time free on the schedule. Time where you’re not committed to the work cycles, and out of the Instant Crisis Response mode.

The hard work, the constant filling in and attention to everything is so normal for nurses that it’s too easy to overlook the personal element. Few nurses give it a second thought, but there’s an underlying stress component if you forget you have an “off” switch and don’t use it occasionally.

There’s also an element of personal deprivation and neglect, as well as the physical pack mule effect. The personal element can be ignored to the point that a personal life is a memory, not an active thing. Remember that “rest and relaxation” is often prescribed as a cure for other people, to get them out of hyperactive behavior and allow them to recuperate physically from demanding situations. The same should be true for nurses.

If you can organize yourself into a work and play mode where you get enough time for some R&R on a reasonable, if not regular basis, you’re giving yourself a recharge. Quality of life outside picks up a lot, too. You can do some shopping, have some fun, enjoy your life and your home properly, and generally take yourself out of the Nursing Olympics training camp for a while.

Give it a shot, get back on speaking terms with your toaster oven,  and have a nice lazy day or two.