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Personal Self-Care

Managing stress is a delicate art of balance in Advance Practice Nurses' (APN) lives, especially in this day and age of constant change in health care organizations. Stress is essential to life--both positive and negative stressors. Certain levels of stress are necessary for every physiological system to function properly; it is frequently stress that leads to achievement on individual, group, or societal levels. Realistic goals are not aimed at eliminating stress, but rather at determining the optimal balance of stress in our lives and at staying within a manageable range of stress that promotes optimal functioning and happiness.

There is no definitive line between individual and organizational stress. The work headache tends to transform into a disagreement with the children, and a family argument seems to migrate into the work setting. The same rules for managing individual stress apply regardless of the setting, home, church, or work.

Stress could be categorized according to three basic types of stressors: (1) inevitable, (2) imposed, and (3) chosen. Ask yourself how much of the stress in your daily life is imposed and chosen. Can you make some different self-care choices so that the imposed and chosen stress come into better balance?

By managing organizational and personal stressors, nurses can step to the forefront of leadership within and beyond the sphere of health care. They can truly model health promotion. During turbulent times, balancing stress requires risk-taking and willingness listen within to know when to lead and when to follow. It seems for APNs, balancing stress and promoting self-care are knowing when to say "no", when to delegate, and when to let go. Its knowing how to work smarter--not harder. There are still only 24 hours in the day. If you work 8 hours, and hopefully sleep 8 hours, that leaves 8 hours out of 24 to take care of yourself and your significant others. About 4 hours of those 8 are used up in maintenance and transit activities. So the question is--how will you use the 4 hours left over? What are your priorities? 

Below are listed 11 items that can help you get in touch with your own self-care. Rate yourself on these ways you are managing stress in your personal life. Use the following scale to rate yourself today:

1 = I'm poor at this

3 = I do this half the time

5 = I do this consistently

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1. Recognize and accept your limits 1 2 3 4 5
2. Develop and refine a sense of humor 1 2 3 4 5
3. Be tolerant and forgiving 1 2 3 4 5
4. Be good to your physical self; get rest, exercise, relaxation 1 2 3 4 5
5. Managing organizational stress by becoming more active in your organization 1 2 3 4 5
6. Develop informational networks to stay informed (Improve your computer skills) 1 2 3 4 5
7. Talk about troubles: friends, mentor, and/or counselors (psychiatric clinical nurse specialist) 1 2 3 4 5
8. Designate some personal/private time daily 1 2 3 4 5
9. Rest: learn to relax, vacation 1 2 3 4 5
10. Exercise 1 2 3 4 5
11. Learn to ask for assistance--HELP! 1 2 3 4 5