5 Tips for Travel Nurses to Have a Healthy Work-Life Balance

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5 Tips for Travel Nurses to Have a Healthy Work-Life Balance“May you find the balance of life, time for work but also time for play. Too much of one thing ends up creating stress that no one needs in their life.” –Catherine Pulsifer

Travel nurses, in fact, nurses in general, and busy can go together perfectly in the same sentence. They are experts at multitasking and juggling between their 13-week travel assignment, family and leisure activities. There are times when sleep and “me time” gets compromised.

Achieving work-life balance is tough but not impossible – consider the following tips:

  1. Prioritize.

    Ask yourself this question – what really matters to you? Additionally, make a list of your short and long term goals – both in career and personal life. From there, you will know what to do first and can take it easy with the not-so-important tasks. This practice manages your time plus helps you stay organized. A win-win!

  2. Say No.
    It’s fine to decline once in a while. The keyword here is “once in a while”. If you’re in a relationship or married and your partner suddenly decides to go out after a tiring shift, then let him/her know that another day would be a better idea. If your friends plan to explore the city on that one day when you can finally catch up on sleep and eat healthily, then skip this and join some other time. Or better yet, why don’t you initiate the plan for the next trip?
  3. Do something for yourself.

    Set one hour a day to do something you enjoy. Are you a fitness freak? Follow a workout session on YouTube or join a gym. Does music help you de-stress? Spend time updating your Spotify playlist or play the guitar – the actual one, not Guitar Hero. Obsessed about your car? Take up classic car restoration as a hobby, it may be expensive but you get to experience the sweet feeling of success when a mechanical problem is solved.

  4. Seek support.
    Asking for a helping hand won’t make you any less. At work, let your co-nurse know that you’re loaded. If there is any problem regarding your travel nursing assignment, your recruiter will be glad to help you out. At home, reach out to your significant other, sibling or even your child.
  5. Know your big WHY.

    There will be times when you’ll doubt about your decisions or even ask yourself why you chose to be a travel nurse, but remember that every travel RN job is different. Pause for a while and know why you are doing what you are doing. Surround yourself with positive people and thoughts to think clearly.

Are you ready to explore what travel nursing has in store for you? Contact one of our recruiters today at 800.299.8132 or email us at info@cirrusmedicalstaffing.com.