How to Recognize When You Need to Take a Break

Nurses do meaningful work when they’re in the zone, but sometimes it can be hard to relax when the body says so. Situations like a medical emergency and on-site anxiety can make it difficult for nurses to pause and step back when they need a breather. Recognizing when your body needs a break is a key factor in avoiding burnout. Although it can be challenging to identify the first signs of exhaustion, doing so can work wonders for both the mind and body.

Below are ways you can discover what your body is telling you so that you can take the break you need.

Notice Bodily Cues

As a nurse, you know that patients often hold tension and pain in their bodies, and that these sensations are clues to uncovering what’s wrong. In fact, your body’s physical sensations are often the greatest asset you have to determine if something is wrong or if you need rest. These subtle signs can also warn you when you’re close to workplace burnout.

Anyone can pay attention to the sensations in their body, even busy professionals. To start, acknowledge the physical cues your body is giving you. Are you feeling tired at the moment? What is your body telling you physically? You may feel sore, achy, or stressed out. Try not to judge the feelings as “bad” or harmful. Noticing these feelings and feeling tired isn’t necessarily a bad thing— they’re only signals your body is giving you.

Once you’ve felt these sensations, think about what you’ve experienced that made you feel this way. Have you finished a shift where you assessed patients back-to-back without sitting down? It doesn’t have to be from patient care, either. Maybe you feel tired because you celebrated a colleague’s work anniversary near the end of your shift, and now you want to leave for the day.

Use Self-care Tools to Build Awareness

There are several other self-care strategies you can take to notice when your body and mind need a break from patient care. Some of these include practices that are flexible enough to do at work; others you can do at home when it’s quiet.

Mindfulness Meditation

Practicing mindfulness is about paying attention to your senses and the environment around you. While traditional meditation may include clearing the mind of thoughts and sitting still, there are several other ways to attempt mindfulness without sitting cross-legged on the floor.

To practice mindfulness, listen to what’s going on in the world around you. Engage in your current environment using your senses. On an inpatient hospital floor, you might sense a sterile, disinfectant smell near the hallways, hear beeping in the background, or see other nurses walking in patients’ rooms.

Other forms of mindfulness can include movement. The next time you’re outside, try taking a walk slowly in a peaceful setting, like a park or nature trail. Pay attention to the sensation of walking and your movement. When you reach the end of your walk, turn back and continue noticing your experience, how you feel, and the thoughts and emotions that enter your mind. Don’t try to interpret the thoughts, but notice them and let them pass by.