There are many ways to survive a layover on the way to a travel nursing assignment.

Now that the winter season is in full swing, travel nurses get to enjoy one of the nicest perks of their careers: traveling to assignments in warm locals! There’s nothing quite like escaping frigid temps and mounds of snow by taking a position in a sunny city, as long as you can handle the layovers. That’s right; one of the biggest down-sides to winter time travel is weather related delays that can turn into hours spent idle at airports. Luckily, there’s plenty to do if you’re faced with a layover. Here’s the Onward Healthcare Travel Nurses Guide to Surviving Layovers!

1) Arrive at the airport prepared.

Even if your next assignment is a mere 2 hour flight away, it doesn’t hurt to pack a little extra to keep you entertained for your time in the terminal. Beyond the basics like books, magazines, knitting, drawing, crosswords, laptop, etc, it also helps to look up some facts about the airports you’re visiting. What kind of shops and entertainment options to they offer? Will there be Wi-Fi? Your travels, whether on-time or delayed, will be much smoother if you’re prepared.

2) Relax and accept it.

It’s frustrating, annoying and inconvenient to you and your boss, but ultimately, there’s nothing anyone can do about flight delays. A positive attitude will make the whole situation much easier, so take a deep breath and mentally prepare yourself  for a possible delay.

3)  Find out where everything is.

If you know you’re going to be grounded for more than a few hours, take a walk around and explore the airport. As boring as it may sound, finding out where everything is will help you plan your time before departure. If you know where the food court, book store and massage chairs are relative to your gate, you’ll have an easier time avoiding boredom without making a mad dash back to catch your flight.

4) Hit the gym.

It’s not uncommon to find a gym in the airport, especially one that offers a day pass, and stays open for 24 hours. Since you’re going to be there anyway, why not hit the treadmill, lift some weights or relieve some traveling stress by stretching for a while? This is one of the easiest and healthiest way to kill time during a layover.

5) Catch up on phone calls.

How often during your busy schedule do you get a chance to have a real conversation with someone on the phone? If it’s been too long since you’ve caught up with friends and loved ones, now’s your chance! Too often we rely on emails, text and status updates to keep in touch so take advantage of your free time by reaching out and chatting someone up.

6) Just sit.

Layovers are the perfect time to just sit and take full advantage of the down time. You can people watch, meditate or just stare off into space. These days it’s not easy to fully unplug from your job, your social life and everything else you have going on so enjoy it.

While we certainly hope that you don’t experience many layovers during your travels, we hope this little guide will make the time you spend grounded a little easier. Happy travels!