August is National Wellness Month and Gifted has pulled together a list of environmental wellness tips to help you, as a travel nurse, enhance your overall wellness. This is important to help live a higher quality of life, and as a travel nurse, this becomes even more of a priority while on assignment.
Wellness is determined by a variety of categories including environmental, mental, physical, social, spiritual, financial, intellectual, and occupational. Today, we are focusing on how you can enhance your environmental wellness while traveling.
Environmental Wellness Tips
As a travel nurse, your environment is changing regularly, and as exciting as a new environment is, it is also a shift in your routines and alters your atmosphere. As you prepare for a new travel contract, you can prioritize your wellness in prep for the transition.
Pack Extra Days for Your Move
One of the essentials on your packing list that will set you up for success early on is TIME. Include extra days in your moving timeline leading up to your first shift on your new assignment so you have plenty of time to make your new place feel like home. An unpacked and organized environment benefits your environmental wellness and will help you feel prepared to start work. Throughout your assignment, set aside time to clean and declutter, even for ten minutes on a day off. It will make a difference in your space and your mindset.
Create Space for You
While unpacking, try to set up a spot in your home where you can retreat after work. Maybe it’s an outdoor oasis with twinkle lights or a comfy chair and blanket set up by a window for a little reading nook. Whatever helps you decompress, prioritize that area of your space because a pleasant and stimulating environment supports your well-being. One tip to get ideas started is to pick a hobby you enjoy and create a space around that activity. If it is painting, give yourself a corner of your home with an easel and all the supplies. If you love catching new films, cozy your viewing area up with a fuzzy blanket, pillows, and some mood lighting.
Explore Your New Neighborhood
Extra time will also give you a chance to adjust to your new community. Explore your coffee shop options, find a local park, or map out your commute to get a feel for your surroundings. Having these little familiarities will make a huge difference as you transition to a new assignment, especially on that first day.
Another big environment that is changing is your work environment. Give yourself a little grace as you adjust to navigating the floor, locating the nurses’ station, or getting lost looking for the bathroom. These are all things that come with time.
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