Anxiety. As a nurse, no one wants to talk about it, but it’s something most nurses carry around with them. Adding travel on top of anxiety can make it almost debilitating at times. It can hinder your job performance as well. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “Anxiety disorders are real, serious medical conditions – just as real and serious as physical disorders such as heart disease or diabetes. Anxiety disorders are the most common and pervasive mental disorders in the United States.”
Finding ways to manage your anxiety is key not only in your job but also in your life. Below you will find some ways other travel nurses have found helpful for managing anxiety.
Tips for Managing Anxiety:
Better Self Care
Taking better care of yourself can go a long way to help with managing anxiety. Diet can either make your anxiety better or worse.
These foods may help to keep your anxiety at bay:
- Fermented Foods
- Cherries
- Kiwi
- Seafood
- Avocado
- Beans and Legumes
- Plain Greek Yogurt
- Whole Grains
- Milk
- Pumpkins
Anxiety can make it more difficult to sleep. Your anxious worry about life and its problems may keep your brain from settling down, and the disruption of sleep is likely to keep you feeling more on edge the next day. Anxiety and sleep disruption go hand in hand.
Change Specialties or Type of Facility
Your travel nurse specialty may be a trigger or even a cause of your anxiety. If your anxiety worsens when you are at work, or even the thought of going to work causes you to feel anxious, it may be time to start looking into a new specialty. You may even need to consider changing the type of facility you work at. If you work in a hospital, maybe you should try a clinic. If you work in an LTC facility, maybe corrections could be for you.
Counseling or Therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is the most common therapy used with anxiety disorders, according to the Help Guide. In this type of therapy, the person learns to recognize and change thought patterns and behaviors that lead to troublesome feelings. They also state that “Anxiety disorders differ considerably, so therapy should be tailored to your specific symptoms and diagnosis. If you have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), for example, your treatment will be different from someone who needs help for anxiety attacks. The length of therapy will also depend on the type and severity of your anxiety disorder.”
Exercise
Exercise has been proven to release endorphins. Typically, these endorphins can boost your mood and energy. It can also help with managing anxiety. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “Scientists have found that regular participation in aerobic exercise has been shown to decrease overall levels of tension, elevate and stabilize mood, improve sleep, and improve self-esteem. About five minutes of aerobic exercise can begin to stimulate anti-anxiety effects.” Exercising doesn’t have to be complicated or strenuous. It can be a simple workout that you enjoy doing.
Relaxation or Breathing Techniques
Many people use yoga for relaxation. Others find meditation relaxing, and it helps when managing anxiety. There are many breathing techniques out there. While one may work for someone, it may not work for someone else. However, the most common types are shown in the picture below.
See a Doctor
It may seem like a no-brainer. However, many people, travel nurses included, avoid the doctor. When it comes to mental health, your doctor may prescribe you medication to help manage anxiety. Medication may be your best bet if you have tried other techniques and they haven’t worked. A chemical imbalance may cause anxiety, and medications can help change certain brain chemical levels.
We hope that you found these tips for managing anxiety helpful. Every person and their anxiety is different. Therefore, one person’s techniques may not work for someone else. It is important to find what works for you. If you suffer from anxiety and have found ways that help you when managing anxiety and feel they could help others, please comment on them below.
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