We all know that healthcare travelers work in a stressful environment. As if life in general is not stressful enough. Stress is the #1 risk factor to your health and wellbeing. Stress management is an essential part of your everday life. If you let it build up and don't learn proper ways to manage your stress, it can literally kill you!

Here are a few quick tips to help you to manage your stress:

Practice Letting Go – think about it, next week will it matter or next year? Is it really worth the stress you feel?

Breathe slowly and deeply – I know, easier said than done….but really, just a few deep breaths can make all the difference

Develop an effective time management strategy so as to reduce your overall stress level

Get outdoors if possible, for a brief break and take a few deep breaths.

Drink plenty of water and eat small, nutritious snacks.

Check your posture periodically….there are apps available for this as well.

Plan something rewarding for the end of your stressful day, even if it's something as simple as stopping on the way home for your favorite meal, or enjoying a hot, soothing soak in your bathtub when you get home.

Try to catch the stress reflex right away – stop the stress reflex when it starts before you become overwhelmed.

Label your feelings. Self-talk is very important. Label it, deal with it and move on.

Fake powerful body language – reduces stress and makes you feel more confident. I have watched several TED talks about this and it really works. Assume a super hero stance and it boosts your confidence. Several studies have proven this can really help you remain calm and boost your confidence.

Turn off your phone. It's always good to unplug from the incessant stream of information always being pumped into your electronic devices. Unplug sometimes. Now that my kids are grown I have started silencing my phone at night when I go to bed and it has improved my sleep quality, needless to say. And good sleep helps everything.

Make the decision. Do your due diligence and quit sitting on the fence. Do it and move forward.

Laugh Out Loud – this is definitely one of my favorites. When I do take time to watch any television I watch comedy and things that make me laugh out loud and smile. It's a great stress buster.

Exercise – another of my favorites. My go-to is to put on my walking shoes and headphones and take off walking for at least 40 minutes, usually more than an hour. I have a great workout playlist on my phone and the pace varies greatly. I have had a lot to deal with in the past year and I can truly say that exercise has helped me get through it all. It gets those endorphins going, naturally and it also will help your sleep. I also do yoga every chance I get and have been doing it for over twenty years, sometimes daily, sometimes weekly, but I can honestly say that at the end of my yoga practice I feel better and can face daily challenges with a better outlook. And, I can do yoga in my bedroom, with youtube, no matter what the weather. There are even yoga apps available that are great.

Meditate – meditation truly is very beneficial in so many ways and stress relief is high on the list of these benefits. All you have to do is take a few minutes and sit comfortably somewhere and begin to breathe slowly and deeply with intention. Focus your attention solely on the breath and away from all the stuff that's stressing you out……even one minute of focused breathing can help you maintain your sanity amidst the stressful environment we inhabit.

Fight long term stress now – learn what stress actually does to you and realize there are many ways to alleviate many of these issues with a little planning. Remember, change the way you look at things and the things you look at change…..change your expectations..

Have self-compassion – give yourself a break. Studies show self-compassionate people are happier, more optimistic, less anxious and less depressed as well as more successful. Learn from mistakes and remember to err is human.

Remember the big picture. Today is only today and there is always a new day tomorrow. In the life of the traveling nurse or professional you can always remember that this assignment is temporary and before you know it you will be on to the next episode.

Rely on routines – more decisions make life more stressful without you even realizing it. A good solution would be to reduce the number of decisions you have to make each day. An easy way to do this is by using daily routines. Simple routines can reduce your experience of stress. You can remove day-to-day problems that take your time and energy and put your focus on important decisions instead without being distracted by trivial things.

Take five (or ten) minutes to do something you find interesting – when you focus on something that is interesting to you it can actually increase your energy. Don't mistake interesting for pleasant, fun or relaxing.

Think about the progress you have already made and not the setback of the day. How far have you come and where are you going? Remember….the big picture. Breathe grasshopper and move forward.

Mary Crawford, HealthCare Employment Network