August 8, 2020

Work

5 top tips for better sleep

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Our bodies require sleep to function properly, both mentally and physically. With enough sleep, you will notice improved concentration, alertness, mood and ability to function. Sleeping is the single biggest thing one can do to heal the body. However, nurses and midwives are known for struggling to get the sleep that they need to perform at their peak.

Fitness nutritionist and personal trainer Anthea Strachan shares her top tips to promote a good night’s sleep, so you wake up fighting fit!

  1. Set a regular bed time

Now this may sound at odds with shift work, but you need to look at creating a weekly routine you can stick to that works around this. It is also a good idea to rest your body on your days off and have the same bedtime on these days.

With today’s technology at our finger tips, this is easy. Apple has our bedtime app, set a reminder every night 30 minutes before bedtime. It will become habit and the body will intuitively ready itself for bed.

Make sure you go to bed at the set time when you can. As you form a pattern, you will set up the routine that the body is ready to sleep at this time. Having sporadic and differing bedtimes confuses the body making it that much harder to fall asleep every night.

  1. Wake at the same time daily

Again this is a tad more difficult when you’re a shift working, but try to create consistency with your shifts that week, and use days off to rest yourself.

This will start to set your body clock correctly. As most of us know, 8 hours is the optimum amount of sleep we should have. By following point one, and waking 8 hours from your bedtime, you will wake feeling refreshed and ready to go.

Who wants to have those sluggish mornings when even the largest cup of coffee doesn’t wake you? Soon, I will be writing on artificial stimulants such as caffeine and why these are not great for the body.

  1. Reduce stimulation before bed

Being stimulated is one of the key reasons why people struggle to get to sleep. And the problem is, there are so many stimulants that can keep us awake!

Common stimulant include TV (especially in the bedroom), exercise, caffeine, chocolate and exposure to blue light (which you get from phone and computer screens).

Avoid these at least half an hour before bed, so that your body can prepare to go to sleep. You should also refrain from having caffeine or chocolate at least five hours before bedtime, so that it doesn’t affect your sleep.

  1. Stop eating at least two hours before bed

When the body is processing food, it can do little else. So if you eat your biggest meal of the day just before bedtime, your body will go into the first stages of digestion. This means that all the other repairing that needs to happen when you sleep will be put on the back burner until it has gone through this stage of the digestion process. Furthermore, during this first stage of digestion, the body is at its most active, and you may find yourself struggling to get to sleep.

Give yourself time between your last meal and your bedtime, so that your body can overcome a full stomach and go past this first stage of digestion. Plus, you’ll find that by leaving this time between your last meal and sleep you will almost certainly reduce weight retention.

  1. Create a quiet and dark space

And by quiet and dark, I mean quiet and dark. That mean no remote controls, TVs, phones or electronic equipment. The blue light and electrical forces can disturb your sleep.

Using shutters and closing your doors can also assist with creating this environment.

However, I know that sometimes it’s near impossible to have a dark space. That’s where the good, old eye mask comes in handy. It’s not just a luxury item found on a plane – it’s also your best friend when it comes to removing light.

Sleep is incredibly important to ensuring that you’re performing at your best. Start your self-care bedtime routine and in a very short space of time you will be sleeping like a baby.

This article was proudly sponsored by Fit Finder.

If you would like to learn more about how to take care of your body, or organise a full session with Anthea, simply go to the Fit Finder website.

For your first session, use the code: Nurse50 to receive $50 off your first session to give it a try!

 

Fund members face Super ‘double whammy’

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About 2.4 million people have applied to withdraw funds from their super accounts under the government’s “early access scheme” put in place during the pandemic.

By July, about 500,000 people had already accessed the scheme, which allows members to withdraw up to $20,000 from their super fund.

Industry super funds have warned that people who make withdrawals under the scheme face a double whammy if the planned increase in employer contributions from 9.5 per cent to 12 per cent is cancelled.

According to Industry Super Australia modelling, if the increase is abandoned, a typical man who draws down the maximum $20,000 allowed under early release rules will lose $180,000 in retirement savings.

To make up the difference, he would have to work an extra 6.5 years past retirement age, to 73 and a half.

A woman would lose $150,000 and have to work eight years longer, until she was 75, to make up the difference.

Experienced business analyst Glenda Korporaal, an associate editor of The Australian newspaper, says the early access scheme has set a dangerous precedent.

“The danger for the super industry is that if easier access conditions are continued or not well monitored, they will be seen as a handy ATM to draw down funds for all events of future hardship,” she wrote.

“Another severe bushfire season? Allow those affected to draw down their super. People affected by severe flooding or cyclones? Allow them to draw down their super. The list goes on.

“Allowing early access to super simply means that there will be no money, or a lot less money, for people – sadly, the more vulnerable in society – once they get to retirement age.”

Very superstitious: 5 hilarious nursing superstitions

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Nurses and midwives are meant to be a scientific bunch, but it seems we have no shortage of superstitions. In a chat group, David asked what some common superstitions that nurses had were.

Here were some of our favourites.

  1. The infamous “Q” word

Everyone knows this one. And no synonyms either!

  1. “Full moon” syndrome

There’s no evidence for this, but too many nurses and midwives swear by the fact that patients inevitably act up during the full moon. The same goes with Friday the 13th.

 

  1. Saying the name of a discharged patient

Whether its acute ward nurses saying the name of a discharged patient, or ED nurses saying the name of a regular, nurses seem to agree on an un-proven trend that if you say the name of a former patient, they will return within 48 hours.

So never say their name, or if you do, make sure you knock on wood.

 

  1. Having a stethoscope on hand

This one seems to come mainly from palliative care nurses. If you don’t carry your stethoscope with you, there’s a pretty high chance that you’ll have to go back to grab it to pronounce someone during your rounds.

 

  1. “I might actually get out on time”

I mean, whether or not you say it, does anyone actually ever get out on time?

What are your superstitions? Let us know in the comments.

Nurses and midwives: how you can meal prep like a pro

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Struggling with making healthy meals in between shifts, family time and everyday life? Fitness nutritionist and personal trainer Anthea Strachan shows you how to meal prep like a pro.

So you’re sick of the food at work, and you’re tired of feeling sluggish from unhealthy choices and options available to you. That’s it you say! You’ve made the decision: you’re going to say goodbye to the cafeteria and vending machine, and you are going to start healthy meal prepping to make your life easier.

Meal prep can seem daunting, but if done well the results can be brilliant. Fitness nutritionist and personal trainer Anthea Strachan outlines her 101 to meal prepping like a pro.

  1. Invest in quality containers

If you are to succeed in pro meal prepping, ensure you invest in good containers. Everyone is different and choices are varied. But the general rules are that you need to look for containers that are leak-proof, sturdy and practical. Nobody wants a soaking wet handbag when they get to work!

  1. Plan your meals

Sounds obvious, right? The biggest fail in meal prepping is bulk over variety. Who wants to eat vegetable frittata for 7 days? Practically no one!

So get creative. Remember, while you may need to buy your ingredients in bulk, you can make a host of meals with these different things. For example, you can turn your lean chicken mince into chicken larb, spaghetti bolognaise, burger patties, meatloaf, ragu, san choy bow or even quesadillas.

Make sure you factor in how many meals that you need, and on what days you’ll be eating out. Don’t forget to plan for breakfast, lunch, dinner AND snacks!

  1. Put aside the time

Meal prepping is a weekly calendar commitment. It’s not a 10 minute or even 60 minute job – you’ll have to put aside a good 2-3 hours to cook a week’s worth of meals. Cook in batches, and use ingredients that can go across a number of meals.

Don’t forget, there are some things can be the base for other meals. For example, you can cook at batch of bolognaise and use half to make a moussaka or shepherds pie.

  1. Maximise your time

One of the things you want to do is maximise your time, so get stuff into the slow cooker while you have other stuff in the oven and something cooking on top of the stove. Nurses and midwives multi-task every day at work, so the kitchen should be no different.

When it comes to maximising your time, shortcuts are your best friend. Stock up on cans of chickpeas and black beans, and use ready-made rice. Supermarkets these days also stock no shortage of salads and vegetables that are ready-to-go, and match well with a slow-roasted protein like lamb or chicken.

  1. Include each food group

Variety is the spice of life they say – and this is especially important in food and meal prep. The last thing you want is a heavy meat-based meal with little to no vegetables.

In a balanced meal, think protein, carbohydrates and good fats. And don’t forget to include a rainbow of vegetables! You can’t go wrong with nutrients if you ensure you have variety.

Further, a trick that I have to make meals feel fresh is to add something fresh right before I eat it. This could be some ripe avocado, sliced tomato or even some fresh herbs. These will add some beautiful nutrients and bring out the freshness.

Scheduling the time for meal prepping will well and truly save you time in your already busy week, so get to it, get creative and most importantly, have some fun!

This article was proudly sponsored by Fit Finder.

If you would like to learn more about how to take care of your body, or organise a full session with Anthea, simply go to the Fit Finder website.

For your first session, use the code: Nurse50 to receive $50 off your first session to give it a try!

5 tips for meditating more effectively for nurses and midwives

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Fitness nutritionist and personal trainer Anthea Strachan gives a run-down on her top tips for meditation for nurses and midwives.

Meditation has been all the buzz as of recent. It is a practice that brings with it a host of benefits and settles the soul. You may have attempted it once or twice, but the head goes crazy, you can’t seem to clear your thoughts and keep it empty. So you draw to the conclusion that meditation is not for you and you weren’t built for it.

Fitness nutritionist and personal trainer Anthea Strachan, through years of trial and error, has come up with an approach to wellness through mindfulness, nutrition and exercise: nurture the soul through meditation and mindfulness, nourish with food, and move the body. It’s her “Nurture, Nourish, Move” formula.

Let’s look at the Nurture component of Anthea’s approach. Here are her SMART FIVE tips for meditation for nurses and midwives.

  1. Get comfortable

There is no point trying to sit with a ramrod-straight back and being totally uncomfortable while you try to still the mind and ease the soul. Throw this concept out the window. Create your own concept of how you want to sit, lay or even stand when you begin this.

Personally, I find that a supported back and a soft pillow are my keys to comfortability. A blanket nearby is always a good idea too. Remember, meditation does not require you to stay still – just quiet – so if you are mid-meditation and need to readjust, do so.

  1. Close your eyes

Removing one of our senses will heighten the others by closing our eyes this brings us into an instant state of relaxation and makes for a much more pleasant experience. This is by no means the rule, if your eyes open and you look around, that is okay too – just when you become aware of them being open, close them down again

  1. Focus on breathing

Don’t try to control your breathing, just notice it. How does it feel in your body, what happens with each inhalation and exhalation. Become the observer, how are your chest, shoulder and belly moving. Start to take the breath all the way to the belly, watch it as it moves down through the body, and then watch it as it flows out. Marvel at the life force that each breath holds for you.

  1. Don’t try to control or restrict thoughts

The biggest misconception of meditation is that there shouldn’t be any thoughts; that the mind should be clear and free of all thought.

That is not actually what meditation is. Thoughts will come, especially early on in your practice of meditation. Allow these to flow, When you become aware of them, don’t berate yourself, but rather gentle let it flow away from you with every breath.

If you are really struggling to stop thoughts, using a silent mantra (inside your mind) is always a great way to focus the calm.

  1. Build your time slowly

The single biggest mistake of beginning meditation is aiming too high too quickly. There is no need to sit for a 45 minute session in your first week or even your first year. Start at 1 minute and do this 3 times a day. Do this over a period of 3 days and then increase to 2 minutes, 3 days them 3 minutes. Once you are at 5 minutes, drop to twice daily (usually on awakening and before you sleep) and build in 5 minute increments until you are at 20 minutes a session. You don’t need to do more than 20 minutes, twice daily to reap the benefits of meditation. This is a solid practice and you will be sure to understand yourself at a far deeper level.

Remember, to spend so much of your daily life focused on looking after others, you need to look after yourself. Give yourself the same care you give to your patients to be at your very best!

This article was proudly sponsored by Fit Finder.

If you would like to learn more about how to take care of your body, or organise a full session with Anthea, simply go to the Fit Finder website.

For your first session, use the code: Nurse50 to receive $50 off your first session to give it a try!

5 ways to eat healthier at work for nurses and midwives

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Fitness nutritionist and personal trainer Anthea Strachan shares her SMART FIVE tips for eating healthier at work.

How many times have you been rushed off your feet, running from one patient to the next, giving all you have to care for them and little left over in reserve? Finding that lunch or dinner break never comes and grabbing something to keep you going from the canteen or vending machine? Sound familiar?

Fitness Nutritionist and Personal Trainer Anthea Strachan believes that most people don’t know how good they’re designed to feel. The demands of work and life often lead to poor dietary choices and a lacklustre feeling in the body that “feels normal”.

Without a healthy well balanced diet, you will suffer, your energy levels will be depleted, and you will burn yourself out. Here are Anthea’s SMARET FIVE ways for nurses and midwives when it comes to eating healthier at work.

  1. Be prepared

Planning is everything. Not only can you ensure that nutritious ingredients are used, you can safeguard from reaching for a quick fix when the demands of the job overtake the ability to take a break and eat healthy.

Take the time to sit down and plan for the week ahead. Meal prepping is the best way to ensure you have delicious and nutritious meals made in advance for you to grab and go. It is also the best way to get the most bang for your buck in the supermarket and have little to no waste from the fresh ingredients you buy.

  1. Nutrients over calories

Stop counting calories and start looking at the nutritional content of your meal. When in doubt on options always remember that fresh is best. When you’re confronted with options, go for the least processed and freshest selection. Go with water with a slice of ginger or a couple of strawberries instead of sugary drinks. Limit saturated fats like in potato chips, and go for options with healthy fats like almonds. Also try to go for whole grains over refined carbs, and pick rye over white bread where you can.

  1. Vegetables are a snack too!

All too often we see people trying to get healthy, cutting sugar from their diets and going to the healthier choice of fruit as their snacks. But don’t overdo the fruit, and stick to no more than two serves a day.

This is where the elusive vegetable steps in, you can’t overdo vegetables. Start with carrot or cucumber sticks with 2 tablespoons of hummus as your snack and then get super crazy and head to your capsicum, raw cauliflower, and sugar or snow peas. For a sweeter option, celery and peanut butter has always been a winner – but keep it to an organic and less processed peanut butter.

  1. Know how to read a nutritional label

Knowing what information you are looking for is the quickest and easiest way for you to be able to make the best choices and avoid unnecessary saturated fat, added salt, added sugars and kilojoules.

Look at the energy per serve, and how many serves are in the pack. As a rule of thumb for weight loss, a snack should be no more than 418kJ to 523kJ (100-125 Cal) and a meal should be between 1360kJ to 1675kJ (325-400 Cal).

Next look at the saturated fats, carbohydrates and sodium content. Aim for less than 3g per 100g of saturated fats, less than 15g per 100g of sugars (I look for under 10g myself) and under 120mg per 100g of sodium.

You can check out this link for more information on how to read nutritional labels.

  1. Ditch the restriction on carbs

Carbohydrates are the single source of energy your brain requires to function. It cannot derive this energy from Proteins or Fats. So in essence, restricting carbohydrates makes us all a little less with it.

Not all carbohydrates are created equal. You need to get up close and personal with them. Start choosing the good ones over eliminating carbs them from your diet. Carbohydrates don’t make you fat, it’s the ones you’re choosing and how much you consume that will determine if you gain weight or not.

Go for low GI, high fibre options found in whole grains, brown rice and fruit and vegetables. Think along the lines of oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potato, pumpkin, broccoli, apples, beans, lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, barley and rye.

While you spend so much of your daily work life focused on looking after others, it is critical not to forget to look after yourself. Your patients need you to be at your very best!

This article was proudly sponsored by Fit Finder.

If you would like to learn more about how to take care of your body, or organise a full session with Anthea, simply go to the Fit Finder website.

For your first session, use the code: Nurse50 to receive $50 off your first session to give it a try!