{"id":4722,"date":"2024-07-17T11:05:21","date_gmt":"2024-07-17T11:05:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/?p=4722"},"modified":"2024-09-19T16:30:03","modified_gmt":"2024-09-19T16:30:03","slug":"7-tips-to-leave-your-pre-shift-anxiety-at-the-door","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wellness\/7-tips-to-leave-your-pre-shift-anxiety-at-the-door\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Tips to Leave Your Pre-Shift Anxiety at the Door"},"content":{"rendered":"<h6 id=\"back-to-top\"><span style=\"font-weight: 300;\">Nursing is a highly respectable and productive career that is growing every day. However, it\u2019s a fairly stressful job that often cannot keep up with the demands of the healthcare industry. The majority of staff and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/nursing\/travel\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 600;\">travel nurses<\/span><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 300;\"> regularly experience emotional burnout, anxiety, stress, and even physical burnout. Nurses experience stress in the lead-up to their shifts, either right before or, sometimes, days before. This is called anticipatory anxiety or, more specifically, for nurses, <i>pre-shift anxiety<\/i>.<\/span><\/h6>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #3c3b3d;color:#3c3b3d\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #3c3b3d;color:#3c3b3d\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wellness\/7-tips-to-leave-your-pre-shift-anxiety-at-the-door\/#what_is_pre-shift_anxiety\" >What Is Pre-Shift Anxiety?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wellness\/7-tips-to-leave-your-pre-shift-anxiety-at-the-door\/#7_tips_for_managing_pre-shift_anxiety\" >7 Tips for Managing Pre-Shift Anxiety<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wellness\/7-tips-to-leave-your-pre-shift-anxiety-at-the-door\/#1_prepare_the_day_before\" >1. Prepare the Day Before\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wellness\/7-tips-to-leave-your-pre-shift-anxiety-at-the-door\/#2_get_enough_sleep\" >2. Get Enough Sleep\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wellness\/7-tips-to-leave-your-pre-shift-anxiety-at-the-door\/#3_repeat_positive_affirmations\" >3. Repeat Positive Affirmations\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wellness\/7-tips-to-leave-your-pre-shift-anxiety-at-the-door\/#4_journal_about_your_%e2%80%9cwhy%e2%80%9d\" >4. Journal About Your &#8220;Why&#8221;\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wellness\/7-tips-to-leave-your-pre-shift-anxiety-at-the-door\/#5_practice_relaxation_and_mindfulness_techniques\" >5. Practice Relaxation and Mindfulness Techniques\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wellness\/7-tips-to-leave-your-pre-shift-anxiety-at-the-door\/#6_talk_to_someone\" >6. Talk to Someone<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wellness\/7-tips-to-leave-your-pre-shift-anxiety-at-the-door\/#7_leave_it_at_the_door\" >7. Leave It at the Door<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wellness\/7-tips-to-leave-your-pre-shift-anxiety-at-the-door\/#less_stress_leads_to_better_shifts\" >Less Stress Leads to Better Shifts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what_is_pre-shift_anxiety\"><\/span><strong>What Is Pre-Shift Anxiety?\u00a0<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anticipatory anxiety<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or pre-shift anxiety is anxiety or dread leading up to an event. It can vary from normal worrying to severe anxiety and panic attacks. It often stems from fear, such as fear of having a panic attack, making mistakes, or something stressful happening in front of others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For nurses, this can include things like:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Witnessing a traumatic patient experience<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Working short-staffed<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Handling a difficult patient<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dealing with colleagues<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These feelings of dread and anxiety can start as early as days before a shift. They can interfere with life, including time off with friends and family, sleep, and general health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wellness\/new-survey-ranks-healthcare-as-most-stressful-career\/\">New Survey Ranks Healthcare as Most Stressful Career<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><a style=\"color: #006400;\" href=\"#back-to-top\">Back to Top<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8656 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/iStock-1270305720.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1254\" height=\"837\" \/><\/h3>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_tips_for_managing_pre-shift_anxiety\"><\/span><strong>7 Tips for Managing Pre-Shift Anxiety<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, what can you do to prevent this anxiety from occurring? Here are a few tips:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_prepare_the_day_before\"><\/span><strong>1. Prepare the Day Before\u00a0<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensuring you have everything ready when you get up in the morning can help alleviate anticipatory anxiety and decision fatigue. Things like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/work-life\/make-ahead-breakfasts\/\">meal prep<\/a> and laying out clothing can lessen the likelihood of anxiety-inducing events in the morning. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Studies<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> show that preparing meals in advance helps prevent decision fatigue and helps people make better choices regarding healthy food. Having a healthy lunch premade the morning before a shift can prevent further worry and anxiety.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><a style=\"color: #006400;\" href=\"#back-to-top\">Back to Top<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_get_enough_sleep\"><\/span><strong>2. Get Enough Sleep\u00a0<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being well rested and getting the right amount of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sleep<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can improve mental health as a whole. Anxiety can be much worse in the morning and before a shift after a bad night\u2019s sleep. Dealing with fatigue on top of your anxiety can make a shift unbearable. Sleeping at least seven hours has been shown to decrease rates of panic disorders and depression throughout your lifespan. Making sure to get those seven+ hours before a shift can help alleviate your pre-shift anxiety.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-8421\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Journal-Unsplash-Resized-scaled-e1721610942914.jpg\" alt=\"Journal\" width=\"800\" height=\"420\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong><a style=\"color: #006400;\" href=\"#back-to-top\">Back to Top<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_repeat_positive_affirmations\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>3. Repeat Positive Affirmations<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Repeating positive affirmations<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> daily has improved mental health, especially around anxiety, depression, and feelings of self-worth. The repetition is the important part of this action. Saying something positive once won\u2019t improve any aspect of mental health. Repeating them daily helps to rewire the brain. For added impact, repeat tour affirmation in your mirror. Looking at your reflection adds increased personal effect and motivation. For pre-shift anxiety, repeat things like:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I am a good nurse\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everything will be okay\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I am enough\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I am smart\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I can handle whatever is thrown at me\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I am brave\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today will be a good day<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wellness\/10-tips-to-reset-mind-and-body\/\">10 Tips for Resetting the Mind and Body<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><a style=\"color: #006400;\" href=\"#back-to-top\">Back to Top<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_journal_about_your_%e2%80%9cwhy%e2%80%9d\"><\/span><strong>4. Journal About Your &#8220;Why&#8221;\u00a0<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Journaling provides benefits to mental health in a variety of ways. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Journaling helps<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> people:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Achieve more goals<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gain confidence<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Track progress and growth<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reduce anxiety or stress<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improve communication skills<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Find inspiration<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Journaling about why you became a nurse can be done in the morning before a shift to rewire the brain, to focus on the positive aspects of the job.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7407\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/10\/Yoga-scaled-e1721610986152.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"420\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong><a style=\"color: #006400;\" href=\"#back-to-top\">Back to Top<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_practice_relaxation_and_mindfulness_techniques\"><\/span><strong>5. Practice Relaxation and Mindfulness Techniques\u00a0<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Practices<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> such as meditation, guided imagery, stretching, yoga and deep breathing exercises can be used in the morning before a shift as well. These <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/inspire\/no-fuss-ways-to-implement-mindfulness-and-gratitude\/\">mindfulness practices<\/a> help keep the mind focused on the present, slow the heart rate, and truly relax the body and mind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_talk_to_someone\"><\/span><strong>6. Talk to Someone<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The effects of the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">COVID-19 pandemic have caused many nurses to suffer from PTSD<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and other mental health conditions. A licensed therapist or counselor can help you cope with anxiety and the stressors of your job. Check with your insurance company to see what mental health services are covered.\u00a0 Additionally, reach out to your facility to see what mental health resources are available for staff.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/inspiration\/how-to-handle-nursing-burnout\/\">3 Tips for How to Handle Nursing Burnout<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><a style=\"color: #006400;\" href=\"#back-to-top\">Back to Top<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_leave_it_at_the_door\"><\/span><strong>7. Leave It at the Door<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>You&#8217;ve probably heard the saying, &#8220;Don&#8217;t take your work home with you.&#8221; Following this essential reminder can be difficult when you work in a role where compassion is key. However, you must begin thinking of your shift handoff as the way to pass along the continuity of care to the next nurse and leave work-related stress behind. Once you clock out, you\u2019ve completed your day&#8217;s duties, and now it&#8217;s time to focus on yourself. When you start letting work stress creep into your home life, you put your own wellness and personal relationships at risk.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"less_stress_leads_to_better_shifts\"><\/span><strong>Less Stress Leads to Better Shifts<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A combination of these practices the day before a shift and the morning of can truly help lessen pre-shift or any other type of anticipatory anxiety. Regularly practicing these tips is essential to help lessen anxiety daily and decrease the incidence of panic attacks and other stress-related issues. The more often you do them, the more benefits you\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n<p>Working in healthcare is difficult enough without the added concerns of anxiety or depression. Try these tips to leave your pre-shift anxiety at the door and be the best nurse you can be for your patients.<\/p>\n<p>Find your ideal job that offers you wellness benefits and a rewarding career with less stress.\u00a0<a class=\"c-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/browse-jobs\/landing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/browse-jobs\/landing\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">Browse current postings<\/a>\u00a0on Vivian\u2019s vast jobs marketplace today.<\/p>\n<p><a style=\"background-color: #124e3b; color: #fdfeff; font-size: 20px; border-radius: 10px; padding: 15px; min-height: 30px; min-width: 120px;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/browse-jobs\/landing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Browse Jobs<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Use these strategies to arrive ready for a stress-free workday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":8422,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[107,7,108],"tags":[123,303,125,75,426,90],"class_list":["post-4722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wellness","category-inspiration","category-work-life","tag-nursing","tag-permanent","tag-registered-nurse","tag-rn","tag-staff","tag-travel"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/07\/Worried-About-Patients-iStock-Resized-scaled-e1721611139898.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4722"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4722\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vivian.com\/community\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}