What Working in NICU Taught Me About Self-Care

 

Working in NICU has shaped me in more ways than I could ever explain.

For almost a decade, I’ve worked as a neonatal nurse, caring for critically unwell and premature babies during some of the most fragile moments of their lives. It’s a role I feel incredibly privileged to do.

NICU is a place of both heartbreak and hope.

It’s where I’ve witnessed incredible strength from tiny babies fighting battles far bigger than their size. It’s where I’ve supported families through fear, uncertainty, grief, and joy. It’s also where I’ve seen miracles unfold in the most beautiful and humbling ways.

I truly love what I do.

But loving your job doesn’t make you immune to burnout.

That’s something I’ve learned the hard way.

Working in such an emotionally intense environment while juggling shift work, long hours, family life, and the mental load that comes with caring deeply for others can slowly wear you down.

And for a long time, I ignored that.

Like many caregivers, I became very good at pushing through.

I told myself I was fine.
I kept showing up.
I kept caring for everyone else.
I kept putting my own needs last.

Because that’s what so many of us do, isn’t it?

We just keep going.

Until one day, you realise you’re running on empty.

Not necessarily in a dramatic breakdown kind of way. Sometimes burnout is much quieter than that.

Sometimes it looks like emotional exhaustion.
Sometimes it looks like poor sleep.
Brain fog.
Low energy.
Feeling disconnected from yourself.
Feeling like you have nothing left to give.

I reached a point where I realised something had to change.

I couldn’t continue pouring from an empty cup and expect to feel okay.

That’s when my understanding of self-care completely shifted.

Self-care stopped being something I viewed as optional or indulgent.

It became necessary.

Working in NICU taught me that self-care isn’t just about pampering yourself.

It’s about protecting your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing so you can continue showing up in a healthy and sustainable way.

It’s about recognising that you matter too.

For me, self-care started looking less like grand gestures and more like small intentional moments woven into everyday life.

A quiet cup of tea.
A walk in the sunshine.
Moving my body at the gym.
Nourishing meals.
Good skincare.
Rest.
Boundaries.
Learning to say no.

Simple things.

But powerful things.

I’ve realised it’s often the smallest rituals that help bring us back to ourselves.

Those little moments remind us to slow down, breathe, and reconnect.

They help us refill our cup.

And honestly, that’s a big part of why I created Ezy Breezy Wellness Boxes.

This business was born from my own experiences in healthcare and from understanding just how easy it is to lose yourself in the constant demands of life.

I wanted to create something meaningful.

Something that reminds people, especially caregivers, busy mums, and those constantly giving to others that they deserve care too.

Because they do.

Because you do.

If working in NICU has taught me anything, it’s this:

Life is precious.
Time is precious.
And caring for yourself matters.

You cannot pour endlessly into others while neglecting yourself.

Eventually, something has to give.

So if you’re someone who’s been carrying a lot lately, this is your reminder to check in with yourself.

What do you need right now?

Rest?
Quiet?
Support?
Space to breathe?

Whatever it is, you are allowed to honour that.

You are allowed to care for yourself too.

Because self-care isn’t selfish.

It’s essential.

And sometimes, filling your own cup is the very thing that allows you to keep showing up for the people who need you most.