Fall has arrived across America. You’ve probably seen the colors changing from your nursing school classroom windows and wondered if you have time to enjoy this beautiful season. Here at Picmonic, we’d like to encourage you to pause briefly, smell the cider in the air and take some time to celebrate Fall. After all, cold and flu season (aka winter) is right around the corner, and while that is great for job security, it’s decidedly less fun for nurses than Autumn.
And now, 5 ways to celebrate Fall…
Pumpkin Spice Latte
Loved, hated, but never ignored, the pumpkin spice latte has once again made its Fall debut at Starbucks.
For those who love their pumpkin spiced caffeinated beverages, there is even a Team PSL mug available at Starbucks to help you show the world where your latte loyalties lie.
Whether or not you believe pumpkin belongs in coffee, you are most likely still fueled by caffeine. That’s where our next must-have comes into play.
Awesome Graphic Tee Shirts
Also nicknamed the Graphic Tee Generation, millennials (aged 18 to 34) love wearing their lifestyle emblazoned across their shirts. Why should nursing students be any different? Wearing these shirts will show the whole world what hallowed profession you’ve undertaken, and maybe even get you some slack when you accidentally cut in line at the grocery store in an exhaustion-fueled haze.
We love this one and this one about caffeine. Layer them over a long sleeved shirt to stay warm in frigid classrooms and outside as Autumn sets in.
Picmonic Playlists
You need to save time studying so that you have more time to enjoy the season. Picmonic Playlists gives you a way to zero in on the content that is relevant to you in a nanosecond.
Picmonic leads you down the path to acing nursing school exams and the big daddy of them all, the NCLEX®, utilizing our unforgettable graphics and study cards. Now you can organize your Picmonics by Course, NCLEX® study topic and even Books! Isn’t Fall grand?
Jump in a Pile of Leaves
Yes, we’re serious. Not only does the exercise from raking leaves into a pile and jumping into them get your heart rate pumping, but there are other benefits of leaf-jumping, including:
- Vitamin D from the sunshine
- Happy childhood memories resurfacing
- Fun activity to do with family, friends or neighbors
- Invigorates your inner child – you know, the one who is super bored from all the studying
Write a Gratitude List
Many people begin a 30-day gratitude list at the beginning of November, as it is home of the most grateful holiday, Thanksgiving. But it’s not too early to start! There are many benefits of making a gratitude list (this blogger compiled 31!), not the least of which is that it will be easier to get through nursing school when you’re grateful for the opportunity instead of complaining about the burden.
Not that you have to put on a sunny face when you’re tired or stressed, but having that gratitude list that YOU wrote can be a great tool when you’re feeling overwhelmed or particularly miserable. Your own words will bolster you better than anyone else’s. Here, we’ll share part of Picmonic’s list to get you started…
- Our customers!! You make everything worth it!
- The Play All feature on our iPhone app. We are grateful for it, because our customers love it!
- Iced pumpkin spice lattes. You may think we’re crazy, but at Picmonic headquarters in Phoenix, it’s still a little too warm for hot coffee.
- Sweaters!! Well, not wearing them, but looking at them in our closet and longing for late November when Phoenix’s Fall-ish weather arrives.
- Our team. When you work with the best, coming into work feels more like hanging out with friends and getting paid to change the face of education. Like our nursing students, we find our mission meaningful, and that is the difference between work and a passionate pursuit!
How are you celebrating the Fall season? Share below in the comments or tag your Fall-related picture on Instagram with #NursesCelebrateFall.
Marlee Liberman, RN, Master Nursing Scholar
As a registered nurse, Marlee understands the struggles that nursing school throws at you – not to mention the overwhelming pressure preparing for the NCLEX®! Marlee brings a unique skill set and perspective to Picmonic with her previous degree in broadcast journalism, her creativity in video production, and her wandering nomad lifestyle. Her blend of talents provides her with the knack for simplifying complicated concepts and demystifying the world of nursing.
