If you’re in nursing school, you know how much it can kick your butt and keep you busier than you may have expected. Between lectures, clinicals, and studying, it can get overwhelming and exhausting. Though this is true, you don’t have to sacrifice your social life or taking care of yourself to be successful in nursing school. Here are some of my tips to navigating nursing school and still having time for fun and fitness!
Managing your Time
Managing your time is KEY in nursing school. Personally, I like to write everything down in my planner so I know when all my assignments are due and when I have an exam coming up. Every week, I make a plan on what I want to work on and when and prioritize the most important things first before I move onto the next thing. This method has helped me stay organized and less anxious thinking that I missed a deadline
I also like to get everything done by the weekend so I don’t have to worry about it during the weekend. I like to take the weekends to go out and spend time with my friends, relax and get things done around my apartment. That way, I can sleep in extra if needed, go out and have fun and not have to worry about finishing an assignment.
Limiting distractions
When I’m studying or working on an assignment, I put my phone on do not disturb or I’ll even put it in another room so that I don’t get distracted and end up scrolling on TikTok for hours at a time. That way, I have my undivided attention on whatever I’m working on  and I don’t waste more time than I need to. This has helped my productivity levels so much and I feel as though I can get a lot more done than I used to.
Making time for fitness
I try to go to the gym 3-4 times every week. For me, going to the gym helps a lot with my nursing school stress and I find it as a way to escape and take a break from my studies. Even if you don’t like going to the gym, make time for what you enjoy doing. If you like running, make time for a run. If you like to walk, take time to go on a walk. Having a healthy way to relieve stress and taking a break from studying will help prevent burnout and will help with focus and attention when you return to working on you studies.
Making Time for friends and fun!
You don’t have to sacrifice your social life in order to get through nursing school. For me, having plans with my friends only makes me want to lock in more so I can enjoy the time we spend without having to stress about anything. Having a balance between spending time with friends and working toward your degree is not only going to make your college experience more enjoyable, but it also reminds you that even though academics are important, you can still have fun with your friends.
Balancing your personal life with nursing school can be challenging, but it is also very rewarding. Working towards being a nurse while also managing fun and fitness creates the balance you need to have in nursing school in order to succeed!