When you’re away on a travel nurse assignment, your temporary housing can feel lonely and unfamiliar. Whether it’s your first time on an assignment or you’re a seasoned vet, it is still important to come back to a safe space and unwind after a crazy or exhausting shift. Creating a living environment that is comfortable and relaxing is essential for your health and happiness throughout your assignment. It’s also a proactive way to prevent homesickness. For a cozy living space, here are a few tips to transform your temporary housing.
1. Unpack Right Away
The best way to get rid of that temporary feeling is to unpack your things at least within the first couple of days. Nothing says “this is not my home” like living out of your suitcases or boxes. Putting away all of your belongings will help you accommodate more quickly and eliminate any unnecessary clutter. Quickly unpacking can even show you more opportunities to decorate and organize. Even though it’s temporary, the new space is yours, so you should treat it as such.
2. Go Green
Plants and flowers are super easy and attractive additions to help fill out your temporary travel nurse housing. Adding low-cost flowers and easy-to-care-for plants brings life to sterile spaces and can brighten any room. They don’t just look good, but they can make us feel good as well. Indoor greenery can reduce stress, boost your overall mood, and be therapeutic to care for.
3. Add Some Color
Adding various colors can also brighten up your space and help you forget it’s temporary. You can choose from homelike themes or go for hues you’ve been waiting to try out. If your housing is completely furnished, buy a vibrant throw blanket or pillow to dress up the couch. Subtle decor items here and there will also give your space more character. Making your home away from home colorful will help it feel much less boring and bland.
4. Fill The Blank Spaces
Meaningful mementos like framed pictures of loved ones placed throughout can make your housing feel comforting and more familiar. Inexpensive artwork and wall decals help decorate generic walls. Posters and tapestries are also easy and price-effective ways to spruce up the walls and add a little personality. If your housing is fully furnished, rearrange it however you see fit. Additionally, treasured drawings, decorative items, and even scented candles from home can make your place feel warm and inviting and not so unfamiliar.
5. Hit Your Routine
Indeed, travel nursing does provide the opportunity for spontaneity and adventure. However, it is still important to have some form of a routine while you’re on the road. Drinking a cup of coffee in the morning, writing in your journal daily, or even consistent bedtime practices can make you feel more at home in your new place. Having a routine you can do despite your location can help you continue to feel like yourself.
6. Invite Friends Over
Meeting fresh faces is one of the exciting parts of being a travel nurse. So nothing breaks in a temporary housing unit like a house warming party! A visit from fellow nurses a few weeks into your assignment will encourage you to make new memories in your space and allow your apartment to feel even more like home. Invite your co-workers or new friends over for a game night or a friendly, casual dinner.
You may not be able to control how crazy the workday is, but you can control the environment you come home to after a long shift. Make sure it is a space where you can relax and feel cozy when you’re not working. Check out our job board for available travel nurse jobs or reach out to our travel nurse agency for a helping hand!
Lost on where to go? Check out our top travel nurse locations to find your dream location.
