More Life in Your Years as a Travel Nurse

It has often been found that travel and experiencing new things helps you expand your horizons and maybe even live longer. As a travel nurse or professional healthcare traveler you have the advantage. You can choose travel as a big part of your life by making it your career.

We would all like to add more life to our years I would think more than we want to add more years to our life. It’s more important to me that I live the years….and the days that I have each day and make the best of each one. Because as we all know, tomorrow is never guaranteed.

How about a few more tips to help you live healthier and get more life from your years.

If you haven’t quit smoking yet, please do! You will be doing yourself and everyone around you a huge service. It’s not like we don’t know it damages you in many ways. It even makes your skin lose elasticity so that you show your age quicker. There are so many program and aids to help you these days if you don’t feel you can do it on your own. I smoked for twenty years and quit smoking more than 25 years ago after a physical workout class where I thought I would pass out for lack of air. I was only 34 years old at the time and couldn’t believe I couldn’t make it through one class. Do it for yourself and if not for you, do it for the people you love and who love you and want to share your presence in the years to come.

Secondly, how do you handle your stress? Stress is one of the major causes of chronic illness in our country and the numbers of people suffering from chronic disease continues to skyrocket. Find time to learn to manage your stress. There are many ways that you can do on your own. Walk, exercise, breathe, meditate, do yoga or whatever it is that makes you feel better and let that stress go. When I am suffering from stress I take a few long, deep breaths and close my eyes if possible. If possible I will put on my tennis shoes and take off for a brisk walk. This helps me in so many ways. It reduces my stress, eases depression and just makes me feel better all round.

If you are carrying a few extra pounds, like most of us are, maybe it’s time to make some changes to get rid of them, especially if, like me, you carry that extra weight around your middle. This is the kind of fat that is stored long term and hardest to get rid of….but as with anything else, you can do it if you put your mind to it. Be conscious of what you put in your mouth as well as your thoughts while you are eating. Your diet is more than just what goes in your mouth. America is one of the most unhealthy countries because of our poor diet. Stop eating packaged foods and eat food that is closer to its natural state. Cook with low temperatures and eat more vegetables and fruit. You know the drill. How many times have you advised your patients to take these steps? Time to step up to the plate and get rid of those pounds.

Find something you love to do when you have down time. I like to walk in nature and I also love to go out dancing to live music. My husband and I used to go dancing on the weekends to live music in our town. I continue the tradition, dancing alone most of the time, since he passed. I’m not worried about what it looks like. I’m just having fun. I am lucky enough to live near the ocean so I can go for a walk on the beach and enjoy the salt air just about any time I like as well. Hobbies and interests that you enjoy can stimulate your brain and help lengthen your lifespan.

Always try to get a good night’s sleep. Sleep is so important to your body and so many of us just don’t make the time for good sleep. Sleep is your body’s way of restoring itself, renewing itself and repairing itself. If you don’t get good sleep your body does not recover from the everyday ravages of life. Good quality sleep helps by lowering your risk of heart disease, obesity and even mood disorders. Sleeping less than 5 hours per night has been shown in many studies to shorten your lifespan by many years.

And if you feel like and can make the time to do it, take a nap. It’s good for your heart and may even help you to live longer. A power nap of only 20 minutes can give you a great boost.

Here’s to your long and healthy life. Keep Smiling and Safe Travels!