I know it can be frustrating when hospitals and the general public demand that nurses solve their trauma through self-care and resiliency training. But I get it — I’ve been right where you are in the bedside trenches of acute care.

I understand your 2 AM Google searches about how to survive being a nurse.

I understand your sleep deprivation and your burnout.

I understand you may not have the time or the desire to implement one more thing into your daily routines.

I understand if just getting out of bed is good enough for you.

I understand if you’re just absolutely done reading about self-care — I used to be there.

I see all your hard work. I see your endless compassionate care for other humans.

Like you, I understand the necessity of self-care, but I also understand that not everything a nurse deals with daily can be resolved with self-care.

We do have to start somewhere, though. Right?

And as much as I hate to say it, the best place to start IS with self.

Defining Self-Care

No one can tell you what self-care is or isn’t because the concept is profoundly personal and, therefore, can only truly be defined by you, the individual.

A concept analysis defines self-care as “the ability to care for oneself through awareness, self-control, and self-reliance to achieve, maintain, or promote optimal health and well-being.” I almost find this definition meaningless - you know what I mean?

When it comes down to it, you are the only one who can define self-care.

Self-care practices can be anything you want them to be, and honestly, they should be things you do or practice every day to support the life you want to live.

Brianna Wiest writes, one of my favorite definitions of self-care, “True self-care is not salt baths and chocolate cake; it is making the choice to build a life you don’t need to regularly escape from.”

Doing something for yourself can help to clear your mind, improve your overall well-being, and ultimately make you happier. Learning how to prioritize yourself and start a self-care routine that will last a lifetime is essential for living a healthy and productive life.

Let’s get into it.

How to Start a Self-Care Routine + Stick to it

One of the most important aspects of self-care is self-discovery. Below are questions to ask yourself to learn more about what self-care means to you and how you can create a self-care routine that you enjoy daily.

Set boundaries + realistic goals for your self-care

Evaluate your current self-care boundaries. Having these answers in hand can help you develop a plan of action that fits in with your lifestyle and allows you to create a balance between taking care of yourself and all your other responsibilities. Creating achievable goals and the necessary boundaries to reach them will help you to create a healthier lifestyle overall.

→ What are you allowing to take precedence over your own needs?

→ How much time do you really have to implement self-care?

→ What are your ‘limited time’ and ‘unlimited time’ self-care goals?

Evaluate your habits

Take a step back and evaluate your habits. Is your current routine working for you? Or do you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or like something is missing? Challenge your status quo. Do an honest audit of your lifestyle and make adjustments where necessary.

→ What is and isn’t working?

→ Which habits make you feel centered?

→ Which habits make you feel stressed?

Brainstorm self-care tasks you may enjoy

Thinking about self-care can be overwhelming, but breaking it down into smaller tasks can make it more manageable and less intimidating. Ask yourself if the activity you are considering is something you can realistically implement into your daily routine. Apply what you learned above to give yourself ideas on how you might apply self-care in different areas of your life and how that might look.

→ What activities bring you joy, peace, calm, rest, clarity, and harmony?

→ Can you realistically implement this idea into your daily routine?

→ How might that look on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis?

Try implementing 1-3 ideas into your routine

Don’t go all in and create an unsustainable routine for yourself because when you fail, it will only set you back and give yourself excuses not to utilize self-care in the future. You are the only one who will benefit from your self-care practices. So make it approachable, simple, and easy to do even when you don’t feel like doing it.

→ What’s worked for you in the past?

→ Are you trying to do too much?

→ Do you see yourself actually utilizing this in the long run?

Reevaluate, simplify, + adjust

Continually evaluate your routines, and consider what works and what doesn’t. Think about ways you can improve and do things differently. Make your routine more approachable by simplifying it. This will help you create a sustainable routine that you can practice long-term. Allow for flexibility in your routines as you discover more and more about yourself and what it means to truly care for you.

→ What is and isn’t working?

→ What can you do better or differently?

→ How can you simplify your routine to be more approachable?

25 Simple Self-Care Ideas for Nurses

Daily check-in: How are you really doing?
Listen to your intuition + define your triggers: What is causing you stress? What can you do about it? Once you have identified the sources, you can really begin thinking of ways to manage them effectively.
Write or talk about your experiences: Put language to your emotions, your senses, and your thoughts to assist you in determining how you feel, why you’re feeling it, and how you can process it.
Seek professional help: Part of self-discovery is the realization that you can’t do everything on your own. It’s okay to seek out professional help.
Practice the art of letting go: Allow yourself the opportunity to grieve and feel all the feelings to pay tribute to what you’ve gone through. Know that healing from whatever it is you’re experiencing won’t be linear; you’ll have ups and downs, and on some days letting go will feel more manageable than others. It’s all a part of the process.
Slow down your morning coffee/tea: Use your morning coffee to sit and focus on the here and now. Appreciate the pause, and don’t rush it. This small change in your morning routine can positively affect your overall mindset and productivity for the rest of the day!
Practice gratitude: Don’t just write down three things you are grateful for and forget about them. Find depth in your gratitude; feel it in your heart, in your soul, in your bones. You are extraordinary, be grateful for that.
Repeat affirmations: Your affirmations can be anything meaningful to you. Examples include, ‘I can do hard things’, ‘I can care for myself as well as others’, and ‘All I need, I already have within me’.
Deep breathe or meditate: Maybe take 5 inhales and exhales or use a meditation app. This doesn’t have to be a big to-do. Simplify it and make it your own.
Take a true rest day — without guilt: It’s not selfish to take a rest day. And just a reminder, being bored cultivates creativity. So allow yourself to be bored and then maybe paint a picture or build a bookshelf, because why not? It’s your day anyway; spend it however you want.
Get to work 15 minutes early: Rushing into work never feels good, so give yourself a few minutes to prepare your mind, body, and spirit before heading into your workspace.
Brain dump a task list and take action on the 2-minute to-dos: Get the easiest stuff out of the way first to prepare your day for the bigger tasks that really matter!
Ask for help completing tasks: It can be easy to try and take on too much, but remember, you don’t have to do it all alone. Asking for help is a great way to ensure you can complete your endless to-do lists on time and take a little weight off your shoulders.
Make an effort to stay hydrated: This is especially important during long 10+ hour shifts. Get yourself a reusable bottle and fill that baby up multiple times throughout the day! You got this.
Declutter your physical space: Clean up both your workplace and home! A disorganized environment can lead to inner chaos without you even realizing its impact on you. Clear your space to help clear your mind — you really will feel so much relief.
Practice good sleep hygiene: Reevaluate your sleep routine and see how you might improve your sleep hygiene to give yourself the proper amount of sleep that makes you feel good and refreshed every day.
Make your favorite meal or try a new recipe: Just a simple reminder to feed your body good-for-the-soul food. Not only is it a great way to nurture yourself, but it’s also a great opportunity to bring a little bit of joy to your day.
Take a nature walk: Find renewal and grounding in the earth’s connection to all living creatures, including you. Let nature be your teacher, and allow yourself to be present and open to the lessons it has to offer.
Unplug: Log out of social media, don’t watch the news, turn off the TV entirely, and bliss out in total silence for the day.
Start a morning or bedtime stretch routine: All you need is 10 minutes to get in a feel-good full-body stretch! Stick with the same stretch routine every time, or find new stretch videos on YouTube for inspiration.
Turn up the music and MOVE: Put on your favorite tunes and move your body, whichever feels good to you at the moment. Don’t worry about what it looks like; just let yourself be in the moment and enjoy the music.
Plan a “favorite things” day: If you have a whole day to yourself (very rare, I know), plan a day filled with doing all your favorite things.
Read a book or reread a favorite book: Whether you choose to read a brand new book or reread an old favorite, the simple act of getting lost in a good book for a few hours can be incredibly soothing for the soul. It can give your mind a much-needed break, allowing you to return to the real world with a refreshed perspective.
Dress up + go out with friends: A no-brainer for a little social refresh. Enjoy a night away from the hustle and bustle of your everyday life.
Reevaluate your habits regularly: It’s essential to continuously assess your behaviors and make necessary adjustments to ensure that you’re living in a way that promotes your overall well-being. Doing this regularly ensures that you always stay true to yourself and find balance in all areas of your life.

At the end of the day, self-care is about taking time for yourself and doing something that brings you joy and peace. It is about making small changes that can significantly impact your mental and physical health. It is about taking responsibility for your own well-being and learning how to make yourself a priority.

You get to make your own definition of self-care and choose how you implement self-care into your routines. Set realistic goals, evaluate and reevaluate your habits, allow yourself grace as you try new ideas, and adjust as needed.

Self-care doesn’t need to be complicated, but it is deeply personal and should allow you to create the life you dream of living.

With these 25 simple self-care ideas, you can create a routine that works for you, and ensure that you are giving yourself the care and attention you deserve, just like you give to your patients every day.