When people think about healthcare work, they almost always associate it with stress. This is because the healthcare profession is known for its heavy workloads, long work hours, and exposing workers to emotionally and physically demanding situations. In a 2023 survey, 56% of registered nurses (RNs) reported having experienced a great deal of stress at work, while 25% expressed that they felt a lot of stress. The percentage of nurses who experienced little to no stress? It was just 4%.
This article explores four helpful strategies healthcare professionals can adopt to reduce stress, improve well-being, and maintain focus and energy to provide effective and compassionate care.
Prepare for stressful days by building a solid routine
Many things are beyond your control as a healthcare professional, but having a good handle on those that are within your control — such as establishing a solid routine — can help reduce stress, promote productivity, and improve focus. Simple routines provide the structure necessary to incorporate positive stress into daily life.
A lot of things can happen at work. Most days, it can be quite physically taxing and even emotionally overwhelming. Creating and maintaining a daily routine that works for you can help you stay healthy and give you a sense of accomplishment and control.
A simple morning routine can help you get ready and organized for the stressful workday ahead. Your routine can include the following simple yet healthy habits:
· Waking up at a time that will allow you to prepare for work at a relaxed pace
· Drinking a glass of water
· Eating a healthy breakfast (Avoid just drinking coffee before rushing to work)
· Taking a shower and getting ready
· Doing morning affirmations or meditation
· Listening to music, an audiobook, or a podcast on your way to work
· Arriving early at work
· Reviewing patient charts
· Gathering necessary supplies and equipment before making rounds
Talk it out and participate in well-being debriefings
It’s important to talk about and recognize the emotional demands of the healthcare profession. If your healthcare facility has mental health resources such as well-being debriefing sessions, take part in them. Debriefings provide a safe space for healthcare workers to talk about their emotions, especially after a full day of helping chronically ill patients who are in pain or feel scared.
While debriefings are not therapy sessions, these can help healthcare practitioners get the social support they need to process complex emotions associated with their jobs, manage and reduce stress responses after physically and emotionally taxing events, and improve clinical outcomes.
Start journaling
Journaling, or recording your thoughts and feelings via writing, drawing, or typing, can help people deal with big emotions caused by stressful and anxiety-inducing events. Journaling has many health benefits, including emotional regulation, stress reduction, and cope with depression.
Journaling can seem intimidating to start, especially for healthcare professionals who have full schedules and long work hours. However, journaling doesn’t have to be a comprehensive and time-consuming activity to be effective. A 2019 study showed that healthcare professionals, patients, and patients’ family members reported lower stress levels after completing a journaling exercise that involved writing down three things that they’re grateful for, three wishes they had, and their life stories in six words.
The good thing about journaling is it’s something that you can do freely — do what feels best for you, whether you want to write your feelings down or draw them using colored pens. It’s an activity that allows you to let your feelings and thoughts flow, without worrying about structure and grammatical correctness.
Leave work at work and take vacations
The importance of separating one’s professional from personal life cannot be overstated, especially for healthcare workers who deal with stressful and emotionally demanding situations. Creating workplace boundaries is especially crucial for healthcare professionals who have responsibilities at home, such as caregiving and household tasks, as doing so prevents burnout and being overwhelmed.
Once you leave work, avoid reading emails and responding to work communications. Make sure that you consistently and respectfully communicate your boundaries and set expectations with your colleagues to let them know when you’re off-duty.
Earlier, we talked about the importance of having and following routines. Aside from having a pre-work routine, a post-work routine can help you transition better from work to your personal life. A post-work routine can look like this:
· Writing a to-do list for the next day
· Cleaning and disinfecting your equipment and work area
· Listening to relaxing music or a funny podcast on your way home
· Taking a shower with a scented candle
· Watching an episode or two of your favorite show
· Preparing and packing your workday meal for the next day
· Prepping scrubs and shoes for the next day
· Sleeping at the right time to get at least seven to eight hours of quality rest
We hope that these tips can help you better manage your stress and anxiety. These strategies are designed to be simple yet powerful, helping to foster a healthier, more balanced work environment.
