Are you a nursing student who is focused on your studies, juggling what little free time you have, and trying to ensure you have a secure, successful, and happy future ahead of you? Nursing students tend to have a pretty big workload, especially if they’re currently enrolled in a more advanced leadership program, so that leaves very little free-time and time to worry about their own needs. This is why your beauty, health and wellness routine tends to be the first thing that you forget about. Simply not having enough time to prioritize you is a common response. Here’s the thing, there are tips you can use that ensure your needs are prioritized and are taken care of without taking time away from your studies.
Here we’ll take a look at four beauty, healthy, and wellness tips specifically designed for busy nursing students like you. These are meant to fit with your schedule and your priorities.
Contents
Cutting Back on Sleep Isn’t the Answer
When you’re a busy nursing student it can feel like you have too much to accomplish in a day, and not enough hours to complete it. It can be pretty tempting to cut back on sleep so that you give yourself those extra hours. The fact is that when you don’t get enough sleep your mind and body react in a negative way, and you’ll actually be doing more harm than good. You will find it more difficult to concentrate and focus; it will affect your energy level, your appetite, your mood, and even your stress level. So what’s the solution?
A good tip is to begin by setting a bedtime routine that ensures enough sleep each night, and then sticking to that routine – even on weekends. The next tip is to get into the habit of planning your day in advance or that morning so that you can give yourself enough time to accomplish each task, and stay on track by using your schedule. Having a schedule can even make you feel less stressed as you’re not trying to remember a big to-do list in your head with fear of forgetting items.
Feed Your Body What It Needs to Stay Healthy
Another simple wellness tip that often gets thrown to the side is to eat a well-balanced diet. Feeding your body all the nutrients, minerals, and vitamins it needs allows your body and mind to perform at peak levels. Once again, if you have sense of being “too busy” and not having enough time in a day, this can prompt you to get takeout meals, or make quick unhealthy meals at home.
A great solution to this problem is to start preparing snacks and meals in advance, making enough so that you have leftovers, and avoiding buying “junk” when at the grocery store.
Experts suggest never going to the grocery store without a grocery list, as this will ensure you don’t get sidetracked by the junk. You can even make a weekly meal plan and then base your grocery list off that meal plan. This does two things – it makes meal planning and preparation easier each day, and it ensures you only buy what you need and what you will use each week.
Instead of getting takeout daily, you can start cutting back and allowing it only as a treat once in a while. Again, this is a win-win as you will be making a healthy decision and you’ll be saving money because the cost of takeout really starts to add up over time.
One final diet tip is to also be more mindful of what you’re drinking. If your beverage of choice at the moment is coffee and high-caffeinated drinks in order to stay awake and alert, it’s time to think twice. While having one or two cups of coffee per day isn’t a big deal, any more than that and you can start to experience negative effects. Instead, make the switch to water as it will ensure you stay hydrated, which then makes you feel awake, energized, and focused.
Don’t Leave School Assignments until the Last Minute
Then we have the topic of procrastination. Everyone is guilty of it once in a while; it’s just so easy to do. The problem with procrastination is that it’s not a solution, you will still need to deal with that chore or item, and putting it off until the last minute will lead to stress.
Let’s say you’re currently enrolled in one of the online DNP leadership programs at Baylor University, studying to get your dream job as a Chief Nursing Executive or a Vice President of Nursing. Chances are your assignments are given well in advance, and because you are doing online studies, it gives you the flexibility to really create a schedule that works for you. It’s going to take dedication and focus on your part, but once you make it habit not to procrastinate, you’ll feel less stress in general regarding schooling.
Keep Your Beauty Routine Simple
The final tip is your beauty routine. Again, this tip is designed with speed in mind. Even if you don’t have time for a seven-step skincare routine and a full glam face of makeup that doesn’t mean you can’t have a beauty routine. It’s all about picking the right products that work for your skin and your lifestyle.
For your skincare routine, you want to look for products that are multi-functional. If a product can target more than one of your skincare concerns or issues, then you are cutting down on the steps necessary. You also want to be sure that the products are designed for your skin type – oily, combination, normal, or dry. As long as you have a gentle and effective facial cleanser, a moisturizer meant for your skin type, and daily SPF – you really don’t have to go any further.
As for a makeup routine, again you can keep it simple and quick with a tinted moisturizer (a multi-functional product), concealer, blush, a light coat of mascara, and a lip balm or gloss. You’ll look fresh and put together in just a few quick minutes each morning.
Making Your Life Simple
Even though each of these tips is relatively simple, they will all have a positive impact on your life and make things much simpler, less rushed, and less stressed.
