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If the work feels heavier than it used to, you’re not failing — you’ve been carrying a lot.

This episode explores the cumulative emotional weight of caregiving and why it adds up over time.

You’re not weak for feeling it. You’re human.

Over time, caregiving work leaves a mark.

Not from one shift, one patient, or one hard conversation — but from everything that accumulates along the way.

In this episode of The Nurses’ Breakroom with Jenny Lytle, RN, hospice nurse and stress-relief coach Jenny Lytle talks about the cumulative emotional weight of caregiving work and how it quietly builds over the years.

You’ll hear why feeling more tired, tender, numb, or emotionally full doesn’t mean you’re failing — it means you’ve been impacted by meaningful work that asks a lot of you.

This episode offers validation, compassion, and permission to acknowledge what you’ve been carrying without needing to fix or unpack it all at once.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

How emotional weight accumulates over time in caregiving roles

Why this weight doesn’t always show up as burnout

What numbness, irritability, or disconnection can really mean

Why needing support doesn’t mean you’re not cut out for this work

A gentler question to ask instead of “What’s wrong with me?”

This episode is especially meaningful for nurses, hospice professionals, and caregivers who feel like the work has changed them — and want reassurance that they’re not alone in that experience.

🔑 Key Takeaways / Action Steps

Feeling heavier over time doesn’t mean you’re failing

Cumulative emotional weight is a normal response to meaningful work

You don’t have to process everything to acknowledge it

Support is not a sign of weakness — it’s a sign of impact

You deserve spaces where the weight is understood

If you're feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or like there’s never enough time, I’ve got something just for you! Head to https://selfcareisntselfish.com to grab your FREE copy of my book, Self-Care Isn’t Selfish: The Compassionate Nurse’s Step-by-Step Guide to Personalized Stress Relief. It’s packed with simple, effective strategies to help you prioritize your needs—without guilt—so you can feel energized, focused, and ready to take on the day. Go to https://selfcareisntselfish.com

Feeling stressed? Grab my quick and easy Busy Nurses' Guide to Less Stress for practical stress relief that truly fits into your life! https://www.jennylytle.com/guide

Looking for connection with people who get the stress and self-care struggles of nurses and caregivers? Check out https://thenursesbreakroom.com

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylytlern/

More ways to connect here: https://linktr.ee/jennylytle

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Rest doesn’t just happen — it often needs a transition.

In this episode of The Nurses’ Breakroom with Jenny Lytle, RN, hospice nurse and stress-relief coach Jenny Lytle explains why going straight from a shift into the rest of your life can leave you feeling wired, tense, and unable to relax — and what actually helps.

Instead of trying to “flip a switch,” this episode offers gentle, practical ways to help your nervous system shift out of nurse mode and into a softer, safer place.

You’ll learn how small, intentional transitions make rest possible — without guilt, perfection, or rigid boundaries.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why caregivers often stay in work mode long after a shift ends
• How skipping transitions keeps your nervous system on high alert
• Simple pause points that help your body shift gears
• Why physical cues matter more than willpower
• How releasing responsibility makes rest more accessible

This episode is especially helpful for nurses, hospice professionals, and caregivers who move from role to role without a break and want a kinder, more realistic way to unwind.

Next episode preview: The cumulative emotional weight of caregiving work — and how it builds over time.

🔑 Key Takeaways / Action Steps

• You don’t need rigid boundaries — you need transitions
• Your body needs help shifting out of work mode
• Small, repeatable cues are more effective than willpower
• Releasing responsibility doesn’t mean abandoning others
• Transitions are a practice — not something to perfect

If you're feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or like there’s never enough time, I’ve got something just for you! Head to https://selfcareisntselfish.com to grab your FREE copy of my book, Self-Care Isn’t Selfish: The Compassionate Nurse’s Step-by-Step Guide to Personalized Stress Relief. It’s packed with simple, effective strategies to help you prioritize your needs—without guilt—so you can feel energized, focused, and ready to take on the day. Go to https://selfcareisntselfish.com

Feeling stressed? Grab my quick and easy Busy Nurses' Guide to Less Stress for practical stress relief that truly fits into your life! https://www.jennylytle.com/guide

Looking for connection with people who get the stress and self-care struggles of nurses and caregivers? Check out https://thenursesbreakroom.com

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylytlern/

More ways to connect here: https://linktr.ee/jennylytle

Send me a text - make sure to include your full phone number so I can reply (software blocks it) 💕

If rest feels uncomfortable, frustrating, or even unsafe — you’re not doing anything wrong.

In this episode of The Nurses’ Breakroom with Jenny Lytle, RN, hospice nurse and stress-relief coach Jenny Lytle explores why rest feels so hard for nurses and caregivers, even when you’re exhausted and know you need it.

You’ll learn how conditioning, nervous system patterns, and identity all play a role — and why the resistance you feel doesn’t mean rest isn’t for you. It means you’re unwinding years of responsibility.

This episode offers reassurance, insight, and permission to approach rest in a way that actually feels doable.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why caregivers are taught (often unconsciously) that rest must be earned
• How a constantly alert nervous system makes it hard to slow down
• Why rest can feel uncomfortable or unsafe at first
• How identity and caregiving roles affect your ability to rest
• A gentler reframe that makes rest feel more accessible

This episode is especially helpful for nurses, hospice professionals, and caregivers who feel tired but wired, guilty when resting, or unsure how to truly slow down.

Next episode preview: Practical ways to transition out of nurse mode — without building hard boundaries or walls.

🔑 Key Takeaways / Action Steps

• Feeling restless during rest doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong
• Rest resistance often comes from conditioning and nervous system patterns
• You’re not bad at resting — you’re unwinding responsibility
• Rest doesn’t have to mean stopping everything
• You don’t have to rest perfectly to benefit from it

If you're feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or like there’s never enough time, I’ve got something just for you! Head to https://selfcareisntselfish.com to grab your FREE copy of my book, Self-Care Isn’t Selfish: The Compassionate Nurse’s Step-by-Step Guide to Personalized Stress Relief. It’s packed with simple, effective strategies to help you prioritize your needs—without guilt—so you can feel energized, focused, and ready to take on the day. Go to https://selfcareisntselfish.com

Feeling stressed? Grab my quick and easy Busy Nurses' Guide to Less Stress for practical stress relief that truly fits into your life! https://www.jennylytle.com/guide

Looking for connection with people who get the stress and self-care struggles of nurses and caregivers? Check out https://thenursesbreakroom.com

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylytlern/

More ways to connect here: https://linktr.ee/jennylytle

Send me a text - make sure to include your full phone number so I can reply (software blocks it) 💕

Hospice work is sacred — and it’s heavy.

If you find yourself replaying conversations, second-guessing decisions, or feeling like the emotional weight of the day follows you home, this episode is for you.

In this episode of The Nurses’ Breakroom with Jenny Lytle, RN, hospice nurse and stress-relief coach Jenny Lytle shares gentle, practical ways to release the emotional weight of a hard shift — without guilt, without “fixing,” and without needing better boundaries.

You’ll learn why carrying work home doesn’t mean you’re too sensitive or doing it wrong — and how to begin transitioning out of nurse mode in a way that honors both your patients and yourself.

✨ In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why caring deeply makes it harder to “turn off” after work
• How your nervous system stays on high alert after a hard shift
• Three gentle, menu-style options to help you set the work down
• Why consistency matters more than perfection when it comes to self-care
• How kindness toward yourself creates more relief than discipline ever will

This episode is especially helpful for hospice nurses, hospice professionals, and caregivers who feel emotionally full, exhausted, or wired after work and want practical support that actually feels doable.

🎧 Next episode preview: Why rest feels so hard — even when you’re exhausted and know you need it.

Key Takeaways / Action Steps

• You’re not broken for carrying work home — you care deeply
• The goal isn’t to care less, but to transition out of the role
• Choose one gentle reset — body, thought, or ritual
• Consistency > perfection
• Rest becomes possible when your nervous system feels safe

If you're feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or like there’s never enough time, I’ve got something just for you! Head to https://selfcareisntselfish.com to grab your FREE copy of my book, Self-Care Isn’t Selfish: The Compassionate Nurse’s Step-by-Step Guide to Personalized Stress Relief. It’s packed with simple, effective strategies to help you prioritize your needs—without guilt—so you can feel energized, focused, and ready to take on the day. Go to https://selfcareisntselfish.com

Feeling stressed? Grab my quick and easy Busy Nurses' Guide to Less Stress for practical stress relief that truly fits into your life! https://www.jennylytle.com/guide

Looking for connection with people who get the stress and self-care struggles of nurses and caregivers? Check out https://thenursesbreakroom.com

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylytlern/

More ways to connect here: https://linktr.ee/jennylytle

Send me a text - make sure to include your full phone number so I can reply (software blocks it) 💕

In this opening episode of a new season of The Nurses’ Breakroom with Jenny Lytle, RN, hospice nurse of 20 years Jenny invites you to slow down and take a Monday moment for yourself.

This episode isn’t about fixing anything or adding another task to your to‑do list. Instead, it’s about naming the emotional weight hospice professionals carry—and offering reassurance that what you’re feeling is normal, human, and deeply connected to the sacred work you do.

Jenny speaks candidly about why hospice nurses often struggle to “leave work at work,” the mental replaying of conversations, the heaviness of patients’ stories, and the quiet exhaustion that can follow us home. Most importantly, she offers permission—permission to care for yourself without guilt and without believing you need to care less to survive this work.

This conversation sets the foundation for what’s coming next. In next week’s episode, Jenny will continue this discussion by sharing practical, actionable ways to begin releasing emotional stress and creating healthier transitions after your shifts.

✨ This episode is for you if you:

• Feel emotionally drained after work
• Struggle to mentally disconnect from hospice care
• Worry that prioritizing yourself might feel selfish
• Know something needs to change—but aren’t ready for a checklist yet

Gentle Takeaways:

Instead of “what to do,” this episode offers space to reflect and recognize:

• Emotional fatigue in hospice work is a byproduct of deep caring, not poor boundaries or weakness
• Loving your work and feeling weighed down by it can exist at the same time
• The challenge isn’t caring too much—it’s not having a way to set the work down
• You don’t need to get tougher or detach emotionally to keep going
• Giving yourself permission to pause is often the first step toward sustainable care

➡️ Next week: We’ll move from reflection to action, with simple, realistic strategies to help you release stress and protect your energy—without adding more pressure.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or like there’s never enough time, I’ve got something just for you! Head to https://selfcareisntselfish.com to grab your FREE copy of my book, Self-Care Isn’t Selfish: The Compassionate Nurse’s Step-by-Step Guide to Personalized Stress Relief. It’s packed with simple, effective strategies to help you prioritize your needs—without guilt—so you can feel energized, focused, and ready to take on the day. Go to https://selfcareisntselfish.com

Feeling stressed? Grab my quick and easy Busy Nurses' Guide to Less Stress for practical stress relief that truly fits into your life! https://www.jennylytle.com/guide

Looking for connection with people who get the stress and self-care struggles of nurses and caregivers? Check out https://thenursesbreakroom.com

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylytlern/

More ways to connect here: https://linktr.ee/jennylytle

Send me a text - make sure to include your full phone number so I can reply (software blocks it) 💕

As the holidays approach, stress and emotional overload can quietly build—especially for nurses and caregivers who are used to putting everyone else first.

In this bonus episode of The Nurses’ Breakroom with Jenny Lytle, RN, Jenny offers a gentle, guided pause designed to help you slow down, reconnect with your inner wisdom, and settle your nervous system.

You’ll be guided through a HeartMath-inspired Quick Coherence® breathing practice, followed by reflective questions centered on gratitude, appreciation, and calm. There’s nothing to fix, plan, or achieve—just space to breathe, feel, and listen.

This short practice is perfect if you’re feeling overwhelmed, emotionally full, or simply craving a quiet moment that belongs just to you.

✨ What You’ll Experience

• A simple heart-focused breathing technique to promote calm
• Gentle guidance to shift into feelings of appreciation or care
• Space for reflection without pressure or expectation
• A grounding reset you can return to anytime during the holidays

🧘‍♀️ Try This

• Listen somewhere quiet if possible—but perfection isn’t required
• Let your breath be slow and natural
• If your mind wanders, gently return to the heart area
• Come back to this episode whenever you need a reset

This episode is a reminder: you don’t need to earn rest. You’re allowed to pause.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or like there’s never enough time, I’ve got something just for you! Head to https://selfcareisntselfish.com to grab your FREE copy of my book, Self-Care Isn’t Selfish: The Compassionate Nurse’s Step-by-Step Guide to Personalized Stress Relief. It’s packed with simple, effective strategies to help you prioritize your needs—without guilt—so you can feel energized, focused, and ready to take on the day. Go to https://selfcareisntselfish.com

Feeling stressed? Grab my quick and easy Busy Nurses' Guide to Less Stress for practical stress relief that truly fits into your life! https://www.jennylytle.com/guide

Looking for connection with people who get the stress and self-care struggles of nurses and caregivers? Check out https://thenursesbreakroom.com

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylytlern/

More ways to connect here: https://linktr.ee/jennylytle

Send me a text - make sure to include your full phone number so I can reply (software blocks it) 💕

As nurses, we’re trained to push through—but your body often knows you’re stressed long before burnout shows up.

In this episode of The Nurses’ Breakroom with Jenny Lytle, RN, we explore the early physical stress signals nurses commonly ignore: shallow breathing, tight chests, fatigue, irritability, headaches, muscle tension, and that feeling of being checked out.

These signals aren’t flaws or failures. They’re information.

You’ll learn simple, in-the-moment ways to pause, regulate your nervous system, and respond with compassion—without needing hours of self-care or complicated routines.

If you want to prevent burnout by listening sooner instead of pushing harder, this episode will meet you right where you are.

✅ Takeaways / Action Steps

• Identify early body-based stress signals
• Try a quick 30-second nervous system reset
• Use grounding, breath, and posture to reduce tension
• Ask: “What do I need most right now?”
• Practice earlier boundaries, not bigger ones
• Respond to your body with kindness and curiosity

If you're feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or like there’s never enough time, I’ve got something just for you! Head to https://selfcareisntselfish.com to grab your FREE copy of my book, Self-Care Isn’t Selfish: The Compassionate Nurse’s Step-by-Step Guide to Personalized Stress Relief. It’s packed with simple, effective strategies to help you prioritize your needs—without guilt—so you can feel energized, focused, and ready to take on the day. Go to https://selfcareisntselfish.com

Feeling stressed? Grab my quick and easy Busy Nurses' Guide to Less Stress for practical stress relief that truly fits into your life! https://www.jennylytle.com/guide

Looking for connection with people who get the stress and self-care struggles of nurses and caregivers? Check out https://thenursesbreakroom.com

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylytlern/

More ways to connect here: https://linktr.ee/jennylytle

Send me a text - make sure to include your full phone number so I can reply (software blocks it) 💕

This week on The Nurses’ Break Room with Jenny Lytle, RN, we’re talking about something so many caregivers struggle with during December: slowing down without feeling guilty.

The holidays bring pressure — expectations, invitations, comparison, and the constant feeling that you should be doing more. But rest isn’t laziness. It’s essential for your mental health, your energy, and your ability to care for others.

In this episode, Jenny shares practical ways to release end-of-year pressure, set loving boundaries, protect your time, and build simple micro-moments of rest into even the busiest schedule.

Perfect for nurses, caregivers, and anyone feeling stretched thin this season.

Takeaways / Action Steps

• Give yourself grace for goals you didn’t meet (life changed — you adapted).
• Set small, loving boundaries around spending, events, and expectations.
• Say yes only to what aligns with your energy and capacity.
• Use micro-rest moments (coffee pause, extra sleep, simple meals, 5-minute resets).
• Let go of “shoulds” around decorating, hosting, or doing it all.
• Honor your capacity instead of pushing through burnout.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or like there’s never enough time, I’ve got something just for you! Head to https://selfcareisntselfish.com to grab your FREE copy of my book, Self-Care Isn’t Selfish: The Compassionate Nurse’s Step-by-Step Guide to Personalized Stress Relief. It’s packed with simple, effective strategies to help you prioritize your needs—without guilt—so you can feel energized, focused, and ready to take on the day. Go to https://selfcareisntselfish.com

Feeling stressed? Grab my quick and easy Busy Nurses' Guide to Less Stress for practical stress relief that truly fits into your life! https://www.jennylytle.com/guide

Looking for connection with people who get the stress and self-care struggles of nurses and caregivers? Check out https://thenursesbreakroom.com

Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennylytlern/

More ways to connect here: https://linktr.ee/jennylytle