Nurses are often called the backbone of our healthcare system, and rightly so. They are compassionate, resilient, and deeply committed to caring for others. Yet this very dedication can become a double-edged sword. The habit of always putting patients, colleagues, and families first often means their own needs are pushed aside. Carrying the emotional and physical weight of care, shift after shift, can take a profound toll.

In my practice, many nurses have shared their struggles with me. They describe powering through fatigue, brushing aside aches, and numbing emotions just to get through the day. Too often, the warning signs of burnout are ignored until they become overwhelming: chronic exhaustion, emotional detachment, disrupted sleep, or persistent physical pain. These are not just individual burdens. They are the hidden costs of a profession that asks so much, yet rarely encourages receiving care in return.

This is where massage therapy can make a difference. Massage is often thought to ease sore muscles, but its benefits go much deeper. It helps regulate the nervous system, lower stress hormones like cortisol, and boost serotonin and dopamine, the very chemicals that support mood, focus, and resilience. It creates a safe space for release, restoration, and reconnection. In those moments, massage becomes more than treatment; it becomes healing.

For nurses especially, massage offers something rare: the chance to simply receive. To be cared for instead of caregiving. To soften shoulders that have carried too much, to deepen the breath that has been held too long, and to feel the weight of stress lighten, even if just for a while. I have seen it countless times. A visible shift occurs as tension melts away and a quiet light returns to their faces. In just 15 to 60 minutes, the body and spirit begin to reset.

This is not indulgence. It is not frivolous. It is necessary. Self-care for nurses is not about luxury; it is about sustainability. When your cup is full, you have more to give. You bring more energy, more presence, and more compassion.

And self-care does not always have to mean a full massage session. It can be as simple as a chair massage at work, a few minutes of focused breathing between shifts, or a moment of stillness before bed. Every act of replenishment matters.

So, if you are a nurse who has been putting yourself last, I invite you to pause and reconsider. Your care matters too. Allow yourself to receive. You deserve it, not only for your own well-being but for the countless lives you touch each day.

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By Gail Korpan, RMT & Ergonomic Evaluator, Preferred Massage Therapy