68. Somatic Self-Care for Nurses: Quick Body-Based Practices to Ease Stress

Send me a text - make sure to include your full phone number so I can reply (software blocks it) 💕In the final episode of our three-part Winter Blues series, we’re shifting from the mind to the body. When you’re tired, stressed, or overwhelmed, you can’t always think your way into feeling better — but you can move your way there.Jenny walks you through five simple, accessible somatic exercises that help calm your nervous system, increase energy, and bring you back into your body in just a few minutes. No equipment, no special setup — just gentle movement that fits into real life and real nurse schedules.If you’ve been feeling stuck, scattered, or emotionally heavy, these small somatic tools offer a powerful way to reconnect with yourself and shift your mood quickly.In This Episode, You’ll Learn: ✅ Why somatic practices work for mood, energy, and emotional regulation ✅ How grounding breath instantly calms your nervous system ✅ A shoulder-release technique that melts tension from screens, phones, and stress ✅ Why shaking is one of the quickest ways to reset your system ✅ A heart-centered exercise for grounding, comfort, and self-compassion ✅ Why small, consistent movement creates real changeTakeaways & Action Steps:Practice the grounding breath for 3–5 cycles anytime you feel overwhelmed.Use the shoulder release during work breaks, charting, or on your commute.Try gentle shaking the next time you feel anxious or overstimulated.Use hand-on-heart breathing for emotional grounding during tough moments.Add one tiny movement ritual each day — stretching, walking, or dancing for 1 minute.🔊 Verbatim Soundbite (15–30 seconds) 💕 Remember...You don't have to choose between loving hospice and protecting your own well-being. I truly believe it's possible to do both. 💕 Enjoying The Nurses' Breakroom with Jenny Lytle, RN? Follow the show, leave a rating and review, and share it with another hospice nurse who could use a little encouragement.  💕 Download your FREE Hospice Nurse's Guide to Less Stress: www.JennyLytle.com/guideJenny Lytle, BSN, RN is the founder of The Hospice Nurse Well-Being Project™ and host of The Nurses' Breakroom with Jenny Lytle, RN. After more than 30 years as a nurse—including over two decades in hospice—she helps hospice nurses reduce stress, prevent burnout, and love hospice again—without sacrificing their own well-being. 💕 🌿 Learn more about The Hospice Nurse Well-Being Project™https://jennylytle.com