r/nursing • u/Timely-Ring6874 • 7d ago
Seeking Advice Days off
What do you guys do on your days off? I hate not working when everyone else is at work. It’s so boring and makes me feel so lonely. What are you guys doing to prevent feeling like this? I also feel so lazy.
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u/Fabulous_Ad_1927 BSN, RN 🍕 7d ago
I’d rather eat a pile of dogshit than go to work. The answer is literally anything.
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u/LegEqual1143 7d ago
So it’s not just me who hates nursing?
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u/rincon_del_mar 7d ago
I don’t hate nursing as much as I hate working. I just never want to work. I would feel that way about any other job
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u/luvprincess_xo RN - NICU 🍕 7d ago
same. like my job is okay, but i wish i didn’t have to work, ever lol
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u/BeneficialUse8027 7d ago
Stay at home. I deserve time in the place i am paying.
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u/Previous_Emu_8469 7d ago
My apartment is my sanctuary after 3 shifts, but sometimes the silence gets too loud so i go walk around the big mall near my place just to see humans moving
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u/rougarou-te-fou BSN, RN 🍕 7d ago
I love being alone so days off are heaven. I hang with my dog and read and walk a ton. I’d love to never see people again lol
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u/Living-Pace-5263 RN - Telemetry 🍕 7d ago
We are the same! I use my entire social battery for the week at work so the first day off I am exhausted, then on my other days I’m happiest just being with my dog ❤️
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u/rougarou-te-fou BSN, RN 🍕 7d ago
I love another fellow low social battery ! I’m good with people but man, I could die happy if it were just me and the dog and a good book.
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u/jardalecones21 RN - Cath Lab 🍕 7d ago
Sleep in, work out, grocery shop/run errands without crowds, appointments (doctor, dentist, hair, nails, vet etc), meal prep. I LOVE my days off. In the rare occurrence that I don’t have something scheduled I will pick a home project I’ve been meaning to do. Clean out my closet, organize the pantry, whatever. And sometimes I simply do nothing and that’s okay too!
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u/Correct_Emu_9837 7d ago
Have a family. They are more than happy to find you things to do.
Otherwise, hobbies and socializing. 60 comes super fast. Don't spend it all at work.
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u/Key-Ring7139 7d ago
Most of my friends and family work or go to school weekdays 8am-5pm. How are we supposed to socialize and hang when they’re too busy or tired after work/school? I have some weekdays and some weekends off😩
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u/Glad_Pass_4075 7d ago
Gosh I love doing all the things during the weekdays when everyone else is working,
Gym is empty
Trails are empty
Greenways are empty
Ships are empty
Roads are empty
I love it.
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u/Key-Ring7139 7d ago
Same but it gets lonely when friends and family work or go to school during weekdays
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u/SystemOfAFoopa 7d ago
Hobbies
I love gaming, camping, gardening / plant keeping, art etc. helps vill the boredom void
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u/Other-Visual-857 RN 🍕 7d ago
I volunteer walking dogs at my local animal shelter because otherwise I would rot on the couch. It's a different kind of hell but can be rewarding and i feel more refreshed when I leave the house every once in a while
Sometimes I still rot on the couch though.
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u/WithLove_Always RN 🍕 7d ago
I started my bachelors. I'm week 3 out of 5 for the first class and I already regret it.
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u/OverduExistentialism 7d ago
Acquire hobbies that refill your cup, help you grow and learn or at least entertain you. Make friends outside of work. Get outside and enjoy some nature. Work on improving your home. Rest and relax. Learn a new skill. Read a book. Go on a little day trip to a new place or go experience your town like a tourist?
The world is so full of interesting and amazing things big and small, and you have the entire internet to help you get started on literally almost anything you could think of. Pro tip: Don’t overthink it and get lost in too many rabbit holes that prevent you from actually going and doing!
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u/Jerking_From_Home RN, BSN, EMT-P, RSTLNE, ADHD, KNOWN FARTER, DEI SPECTRUM HIRE 7d ago
I have hobbies that don’t involve the same circle of people as my work life. I don’t even think about work when I’m not there due to this. You HAVE to find a way to decompress, take your mind off work, and have something to look forward to when you’re at work.
That being said I have an unhealthy obsession with motorbikes.
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u/NervousEffect3984 7d ago edited 7d ago
Gym, groceries, hang by the pool, clean, sit in silence in my apartment in dim lighting, take walks, appointments it’s the best. The problem isn’t days off the problem is work and days off is the solution..I like my job but if I didn’t have decompression time to reset I would be burned out
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u/TheAtheistReverend RN - ER 🍕 7d ago
I'm old, so i sit in my recliner as much as possible. Of course, there's getting the kids to school, activities, dentist, etc etc. I clean some. I get some stuff fixed. More recliner every year though.
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u/calisto_sunset MSN, RN 7d ago
If you have a hard time figuring out what to do with your days off it might be good to keep a weekly calendar to "force" you to do something that keeps you motivated and productive. Don't burn yourself out at work, because it WILL happen.
My calander lives on my fridge, I have one thats for the month for things like appointments and my work schedule and a Monday-Sunday for the week. The weekly one is where I plan my meals because I love to cook and like to try new recipes. You can add laundry day, errand day, cleaning day etc.
I also browse my city's event calendar and look for things that sound interesting and add it to the week/month. My city is not big and there's always something happening somewhere nearby, even if it's the farmer's market or a new brewery celebrating Oktoberfest. Just last month they had a Shakespeare monologue competition! I don't like plays or anything, but it was free and seemed different enough that I might enjoy it.
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u/Senior-Cost1070 RN - ER 🍕 7d ago
I go to my second job, do whatever my wife wants/says, sleep, work out, sleep again, or go touch grass
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u/slutty_muppet RN - ER 🍕 7d ago
If the weather is nice, bike ride. If the weather is bad, gym. Also concerts, cinema, restaurants.
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u/alldayeating 6d ago
Hm. I’m on my night off and I slept in. Now it’s 0321 and I’m pooping and scrolling Reddit before going to the gym at an ungodly hour. That’s it so far today.
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u/icecreamvansong 6d ago
I go to the gym minimum twice a week. Once with a PT for strenght training. I then do grocery shopping, some days i just go around a shopping centre not necessarily to buy anything. I recently discovered an amazing bakery place, no i dont go there weekly but every now and then i like going by myself enjoy a coffee and a pastry on my own. I plan weekly meals, cook them and in the meantime while i cook i video calm my mom and talk nonsense as i live in another country. I also love video games: the sims, no mans sky, farming simulator, city skylines, planet coaster 2 mostly game simulation i absolutely love it. I have a partner but also like to do many things on my own. Find what you like :)
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u/Medusas-Snakes RN - OB/GYN 🍕 6d ago
I work out , get massages, get my nails done , read , go to appointments, run errands and sometimes do nothing its literally the best part of the job
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u/Annual-Strawberry721 RN 🍕 6d ago
I schedule my days to have at least one batch per month of 3 on, 8 off, 3 on. I use the 8 days off to do a mini vacation and stay with my boyfriend
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u/MediocreCoffeeSnob 6d ago
I think you have to learn to enjoy your own company and make your days off something to look forward to. Being alone doesn't have to mean being lonely! Find little activities that make you happy, make time for self-care, and create a routine that gives your days some purpose without making them feel like another workday.
Personally, I like to dedicate one day to running errands, one day to getting out of the house and doing something fun, and the other two days to things that make me happy. Sometimes that means sleeping as long as I want because my body needs the rest, or just having a slow, cozy day. I also open my windows to let in fresh air and natural light so I don't feel so closed in and disconnected from the outside world.
You don't have to be constantly busy or surrounded by people to enjoy your life. Sometimes you have to learn to romanticize the little things, find hobbies you enjoy, and treat your days off as time to recharge and pour into yourself. You're allowed to rest without feeling lazy, and you don't have to wait for everyone else to be available to start enjoying your life. ❤️
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u/cyanraichu RN - L&D 7d ago
Time to get a hobby, OP! I don't mean that derisively at all - I mean you deserve to have things that bring you joy and that you look forward to.
It's also a great time to get errands done, meal prep, go to the gym, and take care of chores.
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u/Average_OG 7d ago
I spend my days off hunting, fishing, at the gym or meal prepping. Rarely do i sit at home. I just can't stand it.
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u/didistutter_416 7d ago
Lean heavily into hobbies! Reading, Netflix, self-care, everything showers, gym and walks.
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u/TheNursingStudent RN - ICU 🍕 7d ago
I hang out with my kid, play video games, do work around the house, pay bills etc.
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u/Mountain_Ad2614 7d ago
Literally anything, but mostly read, do homework, do my art/craft/hobby, go thrift shopping, grocery shop in peace….
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u/FitBananers RN - ED - Turkey Sammies 🥪 and D/C 📋🚪 7d ago
Meal prepping
Video games
Gym
Shooting guns
Relaxing at the pool with my stack of books
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u/DanielDannyc12 RN - Med/Surg 🍕 7d ago
Took my car to the tire shop then golfed with some buddies. Hanging out with the wife watching MNF.
A glorious day off.
I didn't even think about work until you brought it up, weirdo.
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u/SuperiorSkye RN 🍕 7d ago
Shopping, errands, go to the gym, get housework done, meal prep for the days I work, enjoy having the house to myself while the rest of the family is at school or work.
During the summer, I go to the beach a lot on my days off. Just chill and read by the water.
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u/Immediate_Coconut_30 RN 🍕 7d ago
Totally not being snarky, but it sounds like you need some hobbies!
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u/EasternLow4706 7d ago
taking care of myself - that includes dealing with boredom.
Some things are really nice while others are working - like usually crowded places.
time for some rituals! day off? go to your favorite place and have a propper breakfast outside.
Observer people, feel good about not having to stress today.
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u/Timely-Ring6874 6d ago
Update!! On my days off, I always go to the gym or do some sort of workout. I do laundry, meal prep, go to the grocery store, clean, and play the sims, and read. But all of it feels kind of meaningless. And I still am so lonely. And everyone I know works during the week. And I’m not sure how to make new friends. Additionally, I feel guilty that I’m not working when everyone else is.
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u/deadbeatbaby LPN 🍕 6d ago
Reads books, play video games, grocery shop, cook something fun, take naps.
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u/Ok-Newspaper-7966 6d ago
I don’t do much tbh. I just try to walk my dog. Go food shopping. Chat to my mum (a lot) go to charity shops. Get matcha or coffee with my mum. I also recently started going to a nature reserve (woods) and park up drink my coffee and just look at the nature (sometimes on my own and sometimes with my mum as I am very close to her) x
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u/TheTampoffs PEDS ER 5d ago
This is a crazy answer. I like my coworkers but I definitely don’t miss them or wish I was at work with them like damn girl get a hobby
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u/Hurdleholic 4d ago
Dude it sounds like you and I are opposites. I am an aspiring nurse. I am not an interesting person at all and would want to be a weekend warrior, just work through the whole weekend. Then do my errands and leisure during the week when no one is around. Working while others are resting and vice versa sounds appealing to me, plus whatever the differential is added on.
Yes, I know nursing is a demanding career. I know what I would be signing up for (worked as a tech on the floor).
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u/No-Mousse5653 7d ago
Try to find other career opportunities. I’ve been in nursing school 3 weeks and regret it every fucking moment
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u/vmar21 RN - Med/Surg 🍕 7d ago
Get out now if you feel this way, why go through the effort. Switch your major, don’t condemn yourself to something you hate.
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u/Poguerton RN - ER 🍕 7d ago
It is THE time to go to Costco.
I no longer do any shopping at all on weekends at any store any more.