We’re finally moving beyond 2020, a year so generally terrible that it feels beyond description. If you’ve decided 2021 is the year you’re going to skip resolutions and just continue on as usual, that’s understandable. If you’re a nursing student looking for some resolutions to help give structure and goals to your 2021, this is for you.
1) Weekly self-care: If you’re the type of person who is always working or caretaking or generally busy, schedule yourself some time to relax. Make it a routine, some time at least once a week where you can power down and take care of yourself. Putting it in the schedule and making it part of your routine will help you stick to it.
Want some self-care tips? Check out https://atinursingblog.com/self-care-7-new-tips-on-stress-and-coping/
2) Connect with more nursing students: Reach out and get to know more nursing students, whether in your cohort or through online groups. The broader your network, the more people you’ll be able to reach out for NCLEX studying, finding that first job, and the moments of shared laughter that keep us all going. No one is going to understand your biggest stressors quite the way fellow nursing students will.
Maybe an online study group is for you: https://atinursingblog.com/how_to_set_up_an_online_study_group/
3) Improve your study habits: Unless your only study habit is last-minute cramming, you likely don’t need a complete overhaul of your routine. Take the new year as a good time to think through which study habits are working for you and which could use some updating. Are you studying at your most awake time of day? Are you having trouble sticking to the schedule you’ve given yourself every week?
Help your break time work for you! https://atinursingblog.com/tips-for-an-effective-study-break/
4) Get some sleep! Long hours of coursework, clinicals, and studying can make it all too easy to skip out on snoozing. Give yourself an earlier bedtime (and stick to it!) or figure out if you can set that alarm clock a little bit later in the morning. You’ll find that keeping up with all the demands of a nursing education is easier when you aren’t fighting to keep your eyes open.
5) Organize, organize, organize: Everything from remembering which class is next to prioritizing what you need to study is easier when you’re on top of your schedule. Put exam dates in your phone or, if you enjoy using ink and paper, keep a weekly planner with class times and quizzes highlighted. Start or finish your weekend by reviewing what tasks and exams you need to accomplish for the week and plan it out accordingly.
A new year always brings the excitement of a fresh start. Use these tips to help keep that feeling going throughout the semester and beyond. Nursing school can be demanding, but all the hard work you’re putting in will pay off!