The long hours, physical tasks, and emotional weight of patient care can lead to significant nurse stress and burnout. Incorporating simple exercises into your workday can help release tension, improve your mood, and sharpen your focus, allowing you to provide the best possible care for your patients and for yourself.
Designed to be discreet, quick, and easy to fit into even the most hectic of schedules, this guide offers four simple, effective exercises you can do during your shift to help manage stress.
Related CE course for nurses: Enhancing Mental Health and Preventing Burnout for Healthcare Professionals
1. Neck rolls and stretches
Holding tension in your neck and shoulders is a common physical response to stress, and long hours spent standing, charting, or assisting patients can make this even worse. Releasing this tension is a great first step toward feeling better.
Why it helps:
This exercise targets the trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles, which often become tight from stress and poor posture. Gently stretching them improves blood flow, reduces stiffness, and can even help prevent tension headaches.
How to do it:
- Sit or stand with your spine straight and your shoulders relaxed.
- Gently tilt your head to your right, bringing your right ear toward your right shoulder. You should feel a light stretch along the left side of your neck.
- Hold for 15-30 seconds, breathing deeply.
- Return your head to the center and repeat on the left side.
- Next, slowly lower your chin toward your chest, feeling the stretch in the back of your neck. Hold for 15-30 seconds.
- Finally, gently roll your head from side to side, moving from your right shoulder down to your chest and up to your left shoulder. Avoid rolling your head backward, as this can strain your neck.
You can do this stretch at the nurses’ station, in an empty patient room, or even in the breakroom.
2. Seated spinal twist
Sitting for extended periods while charting or performing administrative tasks can lead to back stiffness and discomfort. A seated spinal twist is a fantastic way to energize your spine and relieve lower back tension.
Why it helps:
This gentle twist promotes flexibility in your spine, stretches your back muscles, and can improve digestion. It helps counteract the effects of prolonged sitting and provides a moment of mindful movement.
How to do it:
- Sit on the edge of a chair with your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Keep your spine long and tall.
- Place your left hand on the outside of your right knee.
- Place your right hand on the chair behind you for support.
- As you inhale, lengthen your spine. As you exhale, gently twist your torso to the right.
- Keep your hips facing forward as you twist. If your neck feels comfortable, look over your right shoulder.
- Hold the twist for 3-5 deep breaths.
- Slowly unwind on an exhale and repeat on the other side.
This is another discreet exercise that can easily be done at your desk or any available chair.
3. Wrist and finger stretches
From charting and typing to administering medications and performing procedures, your hands and wrists can quickly become fatigued. Taking a moment to stretch them can prevent strain and improve dexterity.
Why it helps:
These stretches relieve tension in the small muscles and tendons of your hands, wrists, and forearms. Regular stretching can help prevent repetitive strain injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome, which is common in healthcare professionals.
How to do it:
- Wrist Flexion/Extension: Extend your right arm in front of you with your palm facing down. With your left hand, gently bend your right wrist down, feeling a stretch in your forearm. Hold for 15-20 seconds. Then, bend your wrist up and hold again. Repeat with your left arm.
- Finger Stretch: Hold your right hand out. Gently use your left hand to bend each finger back one by one, holding each stretch for a few seconds. Do this for your thumb as well. Switch hands.
- Tendon Glides: Move your fingers through a sequence: start with them straight, then make a hook fist, a full fist, and then a straight fist (fingertips touching your palm). This helps the tendons glide smoothly.
You can perform these stretches anywhere, even while walking down the hall.
4. Deep breathing (box breathing)
One of the most powerful exercises to relieve stress is controlling your breath. When you’re anxious, your breathing becomes shallow and rapid. Deep, intentional breathing can calm your nervous system almost instantly.
Why it helps:
Box breathing, also known as four-square breathing, is a technique used by Navy SEALs to stay calm under pressure. It lowers your heart rate, reduces blood pressure, and quiets your mind by activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
How to do it:
- Find a comfortable seated position or stand with your feet firmly planted.
- Exhale all the air from your lungs.
- Step 1: Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of four.
- Step 2: Hold your breath for a count of four.
- Step 3: Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of four.
- Step 4: Hold your breath with your lungs empty for a count of four.
- Repeat this cycle for 1-2 minutes, or until you feel calmer.
This can be done before entering a challenging patient’s room, after a difficult conversation, during a short break, or whenever you feel overwhelmed.
Related CE podcast for nurses: Post-Traumatic Stress in Healthcare Workers
Invest in your well-being
Your health is your greatest asset. Taking a few moments during your shift to perform these simple exercises is not a luxury; it’s a necessary part of a sustainable and fulfilling nursing career. By managing stress in the moment, you can prevent burnout, improve your focus, and continue providing the excellent care your patients depend on.
