The top 10 five-second stress-relief tips for nurses

Having a tough day? Unfortunately (as much as you might want to!), you can’t exactly run screaming out of the hospital and down the street as a stress reliever! So we asked our Facebook fans for the next best thing: five-second stress-relief tips you can do on the job when things get crazy. The next time you feel stress getting the best of you, try one of these…and let the relaxation begin!

The top 10 five-second stress-relief tips for nurses

1. Crunching on crushed ice. I just did this at work, and thought to myself, “How nice and refreshing”…I think I’ll go get some more ice right now!
—Angela Gilbert Keddington

2. Gently picking up a sleeping preemie and listening to her breathing and sighing in my ear. Does wonders! (I’m a NICU nurse.) Oh, and deep, cleansing breaths of my own!
—Lori Andersen Neilson

3. Aromatherapy. I keep a comforting lotion or spritz to brighten my mood in an instant.
—Rosa Chykur

4. A sparkling glass of…Diet Coke!
—Diane McKee

5. I blow the biggest bubble possible with a new piece of gum.
—Brittany Tessier

6. Don’t ask me why…but going to the bathroom and rinsing my hands and arms off with cold water soothes me immensely. It feels so good and helps me relax!
—Rhonda Kemp

7. I find something to sit on, stretch out my legs and WIGGLE WIGGLE WIGGLE my toes (sneakers still on)!
—Gail Isaacs

8. Bathroom break! Just a few minutes…totally alone…no questions, no patients, no requests…and I come out raring to go again!
—Kathy Sain Grevenstuk

9. I go into the break room and drink a 20-ounce bottle of water. It relieves the stress, allows me to drink water during the day and when I come out of the break room, I feel like a new person.
—Jo Ann Neer

10. A fellow nurse who is also a yoga teacher taught me this one simple trick: I close my lips semi-tight, take a deep breath in through my nose and breathe out really fast through my lips. It sounds funny and you do make a funny noise, but it really works and lets out a lot of stress.
—Pamela Baker

What’s YOUR best five-second stress-relief tip?