Health and wellbeing

Adopting a healthy lifestyle can assist you to maintain your health and wellbeing when life gets busy. Healthy habits can help you to stay well, cope with the demands of work and study, and to maintain a positive outlook and meaningful relationships.

As a new nurse or midwife, you will be exposed to stressful experiences. Establishing self-care practices and proactive coping skills early in your career may help you maintain good health and resilience.

Here are some tips for you to try:

• eat well and drink plenty of water
• practise mindfulness or meditation
• exercise
• find a hobby unrelated to your studies or work
• journal and practice self-awareness and gratitude
• make time for your spirituality
• make time for family and friends
• plan your week, and
• make a plan and time for sleep.

If you need advice about self-care and maintaining your health and wellbeing, give Nurse & Midwife Support a call on the national 24/7 service on 1800 667 877.

Sometimes you may not identify your behaviour as harmful to your health and wellbeing. The following can negatively impact your health:

• isolating yourself
• gambling
• negative friendships/relationships
• trying to fit too much into your day
• the inability to say no
• unhealthy eating or not eating enough
• poor time management
• excessive caffeine intake
• binge drinking, and
• substance use.

In today’s stressful world many people, including nursing and midwifery students, turn to substances to help them cope (Jensen, Forlini, Partridge & Hall, 2016). For some this behaviour becomes a pattern, gets out of control and has a negative effect on your health and wellbeing. If you’re not sure about the amount or type of substances you use and want to talk about this more call Nurse & Midwife Support on our 24/7 confidential support service on 1800 667 877.

A wellness plan can be a helpful tool for promoting self-awareness and reflection to help manage and reduce the effects of stress on your health and wellbeing.

Try this wellness plan to plan your proactive coping skills and identify your key support people and services. Print it out and display it prominently – on the fridge, in your diary or the wall of your bedroom. There is a blank one for you and one that has been completed to give you some ideas.

Wellness plan - template (889KB PDF)

Wellness Plan - sample (929KB PDF)

Why not read some of our other articles on staying healthy:

Sleep

Mental health self-care

Addiction

Our service provides free and confidential support 24/7, to nurses, midwives and students Australia wide. If you would like to speak to someone call 1800 667 877, or you can request support via email.

If you would like to know a bit more about the service before getting in contact — take a look through accessing support.