Trustaff provided this article.

The late January blues are a familiar challenge for many, and this period can be especially demanding for travel nurses. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), prevalent in these shorter, darker days of winter, poses unique challenges to those constantly on the move in their nursing careers. While the condition can be daunting, there are effective strategies and support systems that can help mitigate its impact.

Understanding Seasonal Depression in Travel Nursing

Travel nurses face distinct challenges during the winter months. Frequent relocations and adapting to new work environments can intensify feelings of isolation and stress, common triggers for seasonal depression. Recognizing and addressing these symptoms is crucial in maintaining personal well-being and professional effectiveness.

Strategies for Managing Seasonal Depression

Strategic Assignment Selection: Picking locations with milder winters or more daylight can significantly influence mood and overall mental health. Travel nurses can choose assignments that align better with their health needs, especially during the colder months.

Building a Supportive Community: The transient nature of travel nursing can lead to feelings of isolation. Building a network of peers, staying connected with family and friends, and engaging in local communities can provide crucial emotional support.

Focusing on Wellness: Access to wellness resources, including mental health services and lifestyle tips, can be critical in managing seasonal depression. Maintaining physical health through regular exercise and a balanced diet is also vital.

Work-Life Balance: Managing workloads to ensure adequate rest and time for relaxation and hobbies is important. A balanced routine helps in maintaining energy levels and a positive mood.

Practical Tips for Coping with Seasonal Depression

Travel nurses can adopt several useful strategies to cope with the challenges of seasonal depression:

Maximize Exposure to Natural Light: Take advantage of daylight by spending time outdoors or positioning workspaces near windows.
Create a Cheerful Living Space: Use light therapy lamps and bright decor to combat the gloom of shorter days.
Regular Sleep Patterns: A consistent sleep routine can improve mood and energy.
Nutritional Balance: Focus on a diet rich in mood-boosting nutrients.
Social Connections: Regular contact with loved ones and peers can provide emotional support and a sense of belonging.

Ingenovis Health’s ACT Program

While individual strategies are vital in managing seasonal depression, additional support is often beneficial. Ingenovis Health’s ACT program, provided by Trustaff, offers resources and support tailored to the unique needs of travel nurses. This program provides flexible assignment choices, a supportive community, access to health and wellness resources, and guidance on maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Ingenovis Health’s ACT program recognizes the challenges faced by travel nurses and aims to provide the tools and support necessary to navigate seasonal depression effectively.

As travel nurses continue to navigate the challenges of seasonal depression, it’s important to remember that support is available, and proactive strategies can make a significant difference. With the right approach and resources, managing seasonal depression is not only possible but can also lead to a more fulfilling and successful travel nursing experience.

We hope you found this article on navigating seasonal depression helpful. Have you found ways to navigate seasonal depression as a travel healthcare professional? Comment them below.

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5 Ways to shift your mood happy

Even though so many people depend on nurses during the holidays, it may not make you feel all that joyous when you are on your feet for a holiday shift. What’s more, travel nurses are often away from family and friends and have a work schedule that prevents that trip home for a brief reunion. Here are some ideas that might make that holiday shift a little easier to endure:

1.) Forget the calendar:

Celebrate the holiday early or later than the rest of the country. Plan to continue your traditions when family and friends can be together. If you are traveling, you may also find fares are less expensive off-peak.

2.) Look for the perks:

There may be some upside to holiday hours, extra pay, or even a free meal from the cafeteria. You can also create your own with colleagues in the same boat, do a pot luck, and share some of your favorite recipes or desserts.

3.) Find joy in your patients:

It’s amazing how rewarding empathy can be. If you find yourself caring for someone in need on the holidays, try to look for ways to make them feel better and enjoy the holiday.

4.) Be positive:

If you obsess with being sad or even angry over your schedule, you are destined to feel that way and project that attitude on others. Suppose you find blessings and joy to focus on (your health, family, employment, and a paycheck, even the weather); you are bound to feel better. And, everyone looks better with a smile.

5.) Reward yourself:

It might be tough to get through your shift when others enjoy a home-cooked meal, so plan a treat for yourself after the holiday shift. Give yourself something to look forward to; a spa day, dinner out, extra class at the gym, or even decadent chocolate.

Finished the travel nursing guide and are ready to look for an assignment?

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The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has wrought turmoil across the nation, bringing the global economy to an all-time low since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Millions have been impacted by this pandemic; some have caught the virus, hundreds of thousands have died, and more still have lost their jobs.

Even people who have still retained their jobs live, like Fortuna Visual, who produce sneeze guard glass, live in fear of falling ill or endangering their loved ones. Some people are stuck at home, wondering when things will go back to normal. Regardless of which situation you find yourself in, you may find yourself battling depression during COVID-19.

How to Prevent Contracting COVID-19

The most important thing to do is to keep yourself safe by following the WHO’s recommendations for hygienic practices. For instance, wear a face mask, wash your hands often, and maintain a 6-foot distance from other people.

How to Help Employees Prevent Depression During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Even if your hospital/ facility utilizes the most efficient safety measures during COVID-19, your employees may still feel the stressful mental and emotional effects of the coronavirus. Rather than waiting until they begin to show signs of COVID-19 depression, be proactive, and share these tips with them. So, let’s get to it!

Social Interaction

First of all, one key component to avoiding COVID-19 depression is social interaction. Seriously, we can’t stress that enough! Perhaps you are a proud introvert but bear with me for a moment. Even introverts still have some form of social interaction, whether it be through work, shopping, dates, the gym, or something else. Having social interaction not only combats COVID-19 depression, but it also has fantastic health benefits.

For instance, it reduces your chance of developing Alzheimer’s, and it also helps regulate your blood pressure. So, taking the time to interact socially, whether it be over the phone, webcam, or chat room, is a total no-brainer. Some people are even turning to visit friends on Animal Crossing to combat COVID-19 depression! Believe it or not, running around a virtual island with your friends and visiting cute animals can be exactly what you need to brighten up your day.

Exercise

With the stress of the pandemic on your shoulders, you may be tempted to spend all of your free time slumped over on the couch. But, a lack of physical activity can quickly lead to COVID-19 depression! Even if you are stuck inside for extended periods of time, it’s easier than you think to fit in your daily exercise.

You don’t need a lot of space; you can do exercises such as yoga and Pilates in just a small section of the floor. If you have a dog, increase the length of his walks. Both you and your dog will love it! Just be sure to wear your mask and maintain your distance from other walkers.

Take Breaks from Consuming Media

We get it – it can be so tempting to stay glued to your phone, consuming mass amounts of media. The world is a scary place right now, and it’s only natural to want to stay updated. However, you need to give yourself a break. Inundating yourself with only negative things will definitely affect your mental health in an undesirable way and could lead to COVID-19 depression.

When you feel yourself starting to get overwhelmed, put your phone or computer down. Take some deep breaths. Cook something delicious. Paint a picture. It doesn’t really matter what you do – so long as it is something you enjoy and doesn’t involve reading news.

Get Enough Sleep

Adults typically need between 7-8 hours of nightly sleep in order to be in the best headspace. If you don’t get enough sleep, you can feel irritated, groggy, and low on energy all day. Plus, it increases your chance of developing COVID-19 depression. Take steps to increase the quality of your sleep, such as avoiding screens for 1 hour before bedtime, using blackout curtains, and sticking to a consistent sleep schedule.

Share Your Thoughts

COVID-19 and depression often go hand in hand, so we hope that these tips to help prevent depression during the COVID-19 pandemic have been useful for you. Now, we’d like to hear from you! What have you been doing to combat COVID-19 depression? Leave a comment below and let us know what has been the most effective for you.

Finished the travel nursing guide and are ready to look for an assignment?

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It is undeniable that depression and anxiety (almost 50% of the people diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with anxiety) can become a real issue for anyone regularly experiencing a lot of stress. If you feel like you are slowly falling into this pit, it is crucial to acknowledge it as soon as possible and start making steps towards a happier life.

#1 Stay Connected to The World

One thing you have to understand about depression is that fighting it on your own is not only dangerous but also entirely ineffective. This is why the first thing you should do once you decide to fight depression is to find someone to support you. It can be hard to admit to others that you are depressed, but it is necessary for effectively fighting it. Try to find someone you can trust like a family member or friend. Alternatively, look for a good therapist. As a part of your “staying connected to the world” technique, try to attend as many social events as possible. You can also get a pet to care for as they are known to help their owners feel better.

#2 Do Things That Make You Happy

You have to do things that make you happy to be able to fight your depression. These will probably be the things you are used to doing. If you can’t think of anything that makes you happy now, do the things that used to make you happy. You need to relax and allow yourself to enjoy whatever you are doing rather than worry about big and small problems. Try to get your mind off whatever is bothering you and think of something positive instead.

Keep your sleep schedule in check, so that you can stay fresh and energized rather than feeling sleepy and tired. Taking a nap sometime during the day can also lift your mood and make you feel healthier. Music can also help you get your mind off of your troubles. However, it would be best to listen to relaxing or upbeat music instead of something sad or depressing. Classical music can also help a lot.

#3 Never Stay in One Place

When you are depressed, it might be tempting to stay at home and never even get out of bed. However, it is crucial that you keep moving and never stay in one place because that will help you fight depression. You can even start traveling! Look for information about different countries and decide where you would like to go. If you can’t find enough details, look for information in the language spoken in that region by using a review writing service like Online Writers Rating to help you with your research.

If you have a dog, try to take it for a walk as often as possible. If you don’t have one, go out to nature by yourself or with someone else. Even parks can improve your well-being if you don’t have any forests nearby that you could visit. Hiking and various outdoor activities can also help.

#4 Keep Up A Healthy Diet

Depressed people often discover that they start eating irregularly or stop eating at all. They don’t feel hungry or, on the contrary, they always feel hungry. To fight your depression, you need to keep up a healthy diet. Don’t skip meals and try to balance out your eating schedule. You need to get a healthy amount of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. In addition to that, sweet foods can lift your mood and make you happier (dark chocolate can even make you smarter).

Nevertheless, remember not to overeat sugary stuff. After all, you wouldn’t want to gain too much weight (or lose it). Overeating sugar can also lead you to develop diabetes.

#5 Enjoy the Weather

It’s true that some people can get seasonal depression, which occurs in around 5% of the population of the United States. Nevertheless, you can still enjoy the weather even during these rainy seasons. Here are some tips on how you can use weather to fight depression:

Summer: Spend a lot of time in the sun, maybe even sunbathing. Getting a lot of sunshine will help you improve your mood.
Autumn & Spring: Use the sunny days to your advantage but try to enjoy the rainy too when it is a warm one.
Winter: The best thing you can do is engage in activities in the snow, such as skiing, building a snowman, and so on.

#6 Avoid Negative Thoughts

It is crucial to try to avoid negative thoughts when fighting depression because they are the ones fueling your feeling of nothing mattering. Try to substitute your bad thoughts with good ones and have someone beside you helping you with it.

Stop jumping to conclusions, especially negative ones, without objectively viewing the situation first. Avoid diminishing the positive aspect of whatever you are struggling with. There might be way more useful than you realize. If you feel bad, that doesn’t mean that your situation is bad, so you need to avoid projecting your emotions and feelings onto the situation.

Final Thoughts

All in all, fighting depression is never easy, and you will definitely feel like giving up sometimes. But if you find the right people to surround yourself with, and if you follow the advice in this article, you will be more likely to succeed and become a happier person.

Understanding Seasonal Depression in Travel Nursing

Strategies for Managing Seasonal Depression

Practical Tips for Coping with Seasonal Depression

Ingenovis Health’s ACT Program

Find Your Next Travel Healthcare Assignment with Our Job Board!

Discover the Perfect Housing for Your Next Assignment

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

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5 Ways to shift your mood happy

1.) Forget the calendar:

2.) Look for the perks:

3.) Find joy in your patients:

4.) Be positive:

5.) Reward yourself:

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