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18 Working Nurse l WorkingNurse.com September 7–October 5, 2020 ELEVATE YOUR MIND AND SPIRIT: If you are religious, you may be finding comfort through prayer, reading scripture and inspirational books and attending virtual religious services. Nurses who aren't religious or are nonpracticing can cultivate mental clarity through practices like positive affirmations, meditation or aromatherapy. The key is to find ways to create a positive mindset and lift yourself out of the emotional doldrums. If spiritual practices aren't for you, consider journaling to work through complex feelings, taking scenic drives, enjoying quiet time in the garden, listening to relaxing music or just watching the sunset. Adopting a shelter pet is anoth- er great way to boost your mood. DIY PROJECTS: Do-it-yourself projects are turning out to be popular pandemic pastimes, particularly since hard- ware stores are considered essential businesses! Taking on small home projects or repairs, painting a room, redecorating, refinishing furniture, or reorganizing and cleaning out closets can help you feel recharged and renewed. (Check out the Netflix series "Tidying Up With Marie Kondo" for inspiration.) Not all projects have to be practical. Arts and crafts and other hobbies help you unwind and give you some- thing to look forward to on your days off. PHYSICALLY DISTANT, SOCIALLY CONNECTED: Face-to-face socialization and parties are still risky, but if you miss your friends, there are other ways to keep in touch. Consider organizing a virtual movie night or an online book club with some friends you haven't seen lately. KEEP YOUR COOL OR BURN OUT With a little creativity, you might also find games you can play together online or over text or email. Long before the Internet, people in remote areas would sometimes play chess or checkers by radio. With today's technology, there are many other options. Having a strong social network is an important strategy for managing stress. Even if you have good relationships with your coworkers, it's often a relief to have conversations that aren't about work. Don't Panic! While the above ideas can help you recharge between shifts, the pandemic may also present you with some over- whelming moments at work. If you're in the middle of a stressful situation, take a few slow, deep breaths and do some light stretching. Deep abdominal breathing — even for a few minutes — is the simplest and most effective way to stop the fight-or-flight response. Try to concentrate on nothing but your breathing. Another helpful technique for stress emergencies is visu- alization. Close your eyes for a few moments and imagine yourself in a calm, peaceful place, like the beach. Let all your senses check in: See the beach, feel the warm sun, hear the sound of the waves lapping the shore and smell the ocean air. The goal is to create a mental retreat to counteract extreme stress. You can also train yourself to get this relax- ation response by picking a keyword that you associate with your visualization. After a while, whenever you think or say your keyword, it will take you to your mental retreat space. Other options include a quick self-massage or, if you're able to take a break, listening to instrumental music with 60–80 beats/minute and low-pitched tones. Mozart's music has been found to be a popular and effective choice for relaxation. I hope you have found some helpful ideas here. The current crisis has been hard on everyone, but if there's one thing we have learned from COVID-19, it's that we can adapt and thrive. ___________________________________________________________________ Heather M. Walsh, RN, MSN-Ed., CNL, CHEP, is a registered nurse with decades of diverse experience in adult critical care, infection control, public health advo- cacy and educating new nurses and nursing instructors at colleges and universi- ties in Southern California. You can reach her at profwalshrn@gmail.com. WN