This article was provided by: Travel Nurse Across America
For many people, the holiday season is one where they get to take some time away from work. However, this isn’t always the case for health care travelers. Due to just how important their work is, many times they’ll need to work over the holidays. This can be stressful enough, but throw COVID-19 into the mix and many travelers are as stressed as they have ever been.
That’s why it’s especially important to know how to best deal with all this extra stress this year. Of course, working with an agency with a dedicated support team that’s there to help you will be a big plus. But, there’s also some things you can do on your own as well. Additionally, there’s even ways you can get involved in the holiday season so you don’t feel stressed about missing out!
Stress Relieving Tips
1. Take Care of Your Body
It’s important to take care of your body when you want to avoid and get rid of stress. Working as a travel nurse can be a quite physically demanding job, and now with COVID-19, many nurses are finding themselves having to work long hours with little time for breaks. This tends to lead to more stress, which then can make you feel pretty exhausted, both mentally and physically.
As such, it’s good to do as much as you can to help your body out. Things like eating healthy, drinking plenty of water, and getting enough sleep are all key for reducing stress and feeling good. Even just taking some time to refocus with some deep breaths can help you stay centered and calm, especially during those super busy shifts.
2. Unwind on Your Downtime
Another useful way to reduce stress is by using your time away from work to relax and enjoy yourself. For instance, your time off can be great for either exploring a new hobby, or getting back into an old one. Having something you that you enjoy doing is very helpful for relaxing and reducing your stress levels. Just taking some time to chill out and watch a show or movie can do the trick as well!
3. Treat Yourself
Practicing self-care is also a nice way to relieve stress, and that includes being kind to yourself. It’s been a rough year, so there’s nothing wrong with getting something nice for yourself. After all, if there’s one person who knows you best, it’s you! Even small treats can go a long way in helping you feel less stressed out.
Tips like these can help you feel less stressed from having to work during the holidays. But what if you feel a bit stressed or sad about being away during the holiday season? Don’t worry! There’s also some things you can do which’ll help you get to celebrate the holidays with those you care for, even if you’re far apart.
Celebrate the holidays even if you are away
1. Using Tech to Your Advantage
2020 has seen people make a lot more video calls than ever before since it’s been hard to have in-person meetings. However, planning out time to talk to your friends and family is a lot easier (and less stressful) than having to set up holiday travel plans. Something that you might want to do aside from just calling on the holidays is planning special holiday party calls. That way, you all get to celebrate together like you usually would, despite being away from each other.
2. Send Holiday Postcards
A very common holiday tradition is for people to send out holiday cards to those that they know. If you’re out on an assignment, you might wonder how you can do something like that as well. Enter the holiday postcard! Instead of sending a single type of card to everyone, why not send them special postcards from the area you’re currently at? Not only is this a fun, unique twist on the usual holiday card, but it also lets you show them you’re thinking of them even when far away.
3. Connect with Coworkers
Just as you might be away from home for the holidays, so will many of your coworkers, especially those that are also travelers. So, why not spread a bit of holiday cheer and celebrate with them? For instance, why not try doing a special virtual holiday potluck, where everyone tries out a recipe given to them by someone else? Or, you can organize a secret Santa where the gifts are sent to everyone, and then open them all on a call together
Even though this year is a bit different than those before, that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate the holidays and yourself in the process. Remember to try and take care of yourself, and don’t be afraid to get creative with how you celebrate the holidays this year!
