The one thing that has helped me survive NOC

Despite my body sort of hating me while adjusting to NOC, there is one thing I’ve learned to do to help me feel better throughout my shift – drink water! I really didn’t notice how little I drink until I spent a day with our hospital’s wound, ostomy, and incontinence nurse. The day was such a great learning experience with this wise woman; it started with her asking how I planned to stay hydrated throughout the day.

Random, right? But she had this amazing-looking water with oranges, ginger, cucumbers, and berries in it. Just looking at it made me thirsty! It got me thinking: I wake up, drink coffee, take coffee with me to work, drink that, get more, and don’t drink anything else for the rest of the shift. How bad is that!?! And what’s worse is that I never even thought about it.

So I went home and dug through the cupboards looking for just the right water cup–one of those plastic, reusable ones with the straws (straws help me drink more of just about anything…not so good when it comes to cocktails, but GREAT when it comes to water!). I even filled it with lemons and ice to keep it flavored and cool.

What a difference! I don’t feel as tired anymore, and I don’t snack as much (when your water tastes good–try flavoring it with Mio drops too!–you don’t feel the need to snack on whatever’s lying around). It’s a lot easier to make it through my shift when I’m well hydrated. Sure, it means more bathroom breaks, but that’s a small price to pay. Even my skin feels better now.

So lesson learned: wanna feel great, hydrate! It’s amazing what you learn when you least expect it. Now excuse me while I go fill up my water bottle!

For more Wellness Tips pick up the latest issue of Scrubs magazine, available at a retail store near you!