As we make our way through our careers as travel nurses, we realize a number of important things:

• Life is short. Very short.
• We come in contact with many people - those we wish to never leave and those we wish we’d never met.
• We aren’t just what we eat (put in our mouths), we’re what we think (put in our heads) every day.
• Our environment can take a toll on us, and most of the time we don’t even know it.

If you’re looking for some things you can do to life a healthier, more productive life, here are ten things you can do today that will set you in the right direction:

1. Stop Smoking. The life of a travel nurse is stressful, true. But putting 4,000 chemicals in your body with every drag isn’t helping. Take deep breaths. They can be addictive too, but they won’t kill you.
2. Cut back on the number of pills you take. You give pills to patients for THEIR headaches, why not take a pill every time you have a headache? Because you could be damaging your kidneys if you pop a few pills every time a headache happens.
3. Watch less TV. MUCH less TV. Watching TV isn’t autopilot for the brain, it’s atrophy for the brain. If you have a TV in your bedroom, get rid of it. Your bedroom is for two things: Sleeping and sex. (Not necessarily in that order)
4. Cut back on your digital time. This means spending less time online. Some things you probably can’t cut back on, like email - but spending four hours night on Facebook to find old friends should probably be scaled back.
5. Cut out gossip at work. It’s easy to get caught up in a juicy story about a co-worker. But these kinds of conversations only weaken your resistance to getting caught up in other people’s business.
6. Sleep well, sleep long. Learn how to get the best sleep for your body. Travel nurses don’t always have time to get enough sleep, but when you DO sleep, there are techniques to help you get the best rest you can.
7. Exercise. Running up and down the halls to give meds, tend to patients and deal with emergencies does not count as exercise. When you’re working, exercise is called “work.” Make the time outside of work to walk, run, bike or lift weights. Your body will thank you by being even more prepared for the work day.
8. Ditch the toxic cleaners. Travel nurses I know tend to bring their own cleaning supplies with them to assignments. Most cleaners have toxic chemicals in them that are harmful to your health. Try switching to a non-toxic or ‘green’ cleaner to keep toxic chemicals out of your living space.
9. Eat healthier. While you’re ditching the toxins in your cleaners, try getting rid of the toxins in your food too. Organic vegetables and fruits taste great and don’t pollute your body with the bad stuff.
10. Breathe. We’ve all had the advice: “take a deep breath and relax” before. But it works. Give your body the oxygen it needs to be healthy.

If you’re looking for more tips on staying healthy while on the road as a travel nurse, try these 101 tips.