A Day in the Life of a Student Nurse: Laura
Hi, I’m Laura, a 36-year-old busy mum of three. Having children aged 2, 13, and 16 keeps me on my toes. I decided to return to Edge Hill University after a long 12 years. My main motivation for coming back was to take on new challenges in my work life—my brain was bored, and I wanted to retrain and push myself out of my comfort zone.
During those 12 years, I went through experiences that changed me as a person forever, but they also altered how others perceived me. I felt like I’d lost my identity and wanted to find myself again. These experiences led me to the decision to pursue mental health nursing. It took me about four years to work up the courage to apply. I kept thinking, There’s no way I’ll get on the course. Am I even capable of doing it?
But I did it. On my first day, I felt like a total newbie, completely out of my comfort zone—which was exactly what I wanted, but wow, it was terrifying! If I’m honest, it still is. Yet, I’m proud of the fact that I took the step, got onto the course, and for the first time, I thought, Yes, I’ve got this. I can do it.
Fast forward a few weeks, and all the pre-session and post-session work is piling up. I’ve got reading lists galore that I need to get through, and I’m sitting in lecture halls thinking, What is my lecturer even talking about? The doubt started to creep in. Who am I kidding? I’m 36. It’s stupid to think I can do this degree with no background. My anxiety flared up and began to take hold.
Then we were given our verbal assignment, and I went into overdrive with self-doubt. At times, I felt like the worst mum because all this uni work was taking over my life. I couldn’t get the balance right between being a student, a mum, a wife, a daughter, and a friend. I was drowning—and it was only week six. How was I going to make it to the end of this three-year degree?
I needed help. I had to start taking five minutes a day to regain control of my mind, give my head a wobble, and sort myself out; otherwise, there was no way I could carry on. I remembered someone mentioning the new Student Edition of ShinyMind that was launching, and I thought, Why not give it a try as a first step?
I signed up using the QR code shared by my university, downloaded the app, and set up my account, which was easy enough to do. Once I started to navigate through the app, I realised there were some really helpful tools to get my anxiety back under control.
Within ShinyMind, there’s an entire Masterclass area offering a wide range of tools to help you explore and understand your mindset, reduce stress, and become the best version of yourself. I’ve found the Stress Masterclass particularly helpful for managing stress, as it includes loads of short activities designed to relieve it. There’s also a Calm Masterclass, which I feel works really well with the Stress Masterclass by helping you stay calm and collected, preventing you from getting as stressed as you normally might.
I also struggle with sleep and find it difficult to switch off my mind. For this reason, I’ve been using the exercises in the Sleep Masterclass. I’ve now got a good bedtime routine, incorporating the 7 Sleep Affirmations, and I’ve noticed my sleep improving as my mind feels less distracted.
Then, of course, there are the dedicated Student LifePacks. I’ve found these incredibly useful for managing my workload. They give me a chance to relax for five minutes and refocus on what I’m trying to do.
Within the Student LifePacks, there’s a section on how to Cope with Anxiety, and it’s amazing. There’s a variety of activities and exercises to help you take back control because, when my anxiety is bad, it feels like the anxiety is controlling me.
I also love the Gratitude Board. It’s so easy to get bogged down by all the negatives and everything that’s going wrong, and I forget what’s going well, what I already have, or what I’ve achieved. I’ve started making it a habit to complete my Gratitude Board in the mornings. I usually try to list at least three things I’m grateful for, and sometimes I’ll add little pictures to make it more visually appealing.
Doing this gives my day a calm start and has a positive influence on my mindset. On bad days, or when I feel like I have no control over certain situations or emotions, this tool brings me back down to earth. It empowers me and helps me get through the day.
The Daily Shine feature is another tool I use every day. It helps me record how I’m feeling, what’s influencing my moods, and my overall emotional state. I like this feature because, when I feel like I’ve been failing or not doing so good for a long time, I can look back and see the moments where I’ve done well and how far I’ve come.
You can also send a Positive Message to someone else. My friends and I use this feature when one of us is struggling—we’ll just send a quick positive vibes message to each other. It’s such a simple gesture, but it always makes the receiver feel like they’re not alone.
I hope this blog has given you a good understanding of what to expect from ShinyMind’s Student Edition. If you’re struggling, I would definitely recommend it. That said, you don’t have to be struggling to use it—there are plenty of tools designed to help you create a better mindset and build positivity in your day-to-day life.
Thanks for reading!
Laura
