🩺 This Isn’t Self-Care, But It Kind Of Is

I don’t have a 10-step skincare routine.
I don’t journal.
And I’ve never once meditated on a mountain.

But I do pack an extra snack in my scrub pocket.
Not for me — for whoever forgets theirs.
(And someone always does.)

I set my alarm 12 minutes early
so I can sit in the parking lot with my coffee
and just… exist
before walking in.

I double-knot my shoes.
Not because I think I’ll run today —
but because I might have to.

I’ve learned which coworkers need a gentle hand-squeeze,
and which ones need a bad joke and a vending machine Snickers.

And somewhere along the way,
these little rituals —
the gum in my badge holder,
the backup socks in my locker,
the way I always check the break room before I leave —
they became something else.

Not just habits.
Not just routines.
But small ways I take care of people.
And myself.

They’re not glamorous.
They’re not Instagrammable.
But they’re mine.

Maybe that’s what nurse self-care really looks like.
Not bubble baths or spa days.
But remembering someone’s favorite drink.
Packing a sandwich for the night shift.
Or just… breathing in the car for a minute
before stepping back into the chaos.

Because sometimes,
taking care of others
is how we take care of ourselves.

P.S.
Got a little ritual that keeps you grounded?
A snack stash, a lucky pen, a shift-start mantra?
Tell us about it.
Drop it in the comments — or email us at stories@pagingapparel.com

if you'd like to be featured on the blog.
(We’re happy to post anonymously.)

Let’s make space for nurses to share the small things —
the little lifelines that keep us going.

— Still Standing in Crocs