8 Ways For Healthcare Providers To Relieve Stress
Being in the medical field and serving as a healthcare worker can be stressful. In fact, according to the report published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, it is estimated that the stress among healthcare workers is 35% to 54% when we talk about nurses' stress. And when it comes to doctors, the average physical stress level is around 45% to 60%.
This percentage reinstates that doctors and stress are indeed interconnected at a much higher intensity.
Now, managing stress in the healthcare sector, especially for doctors, nurses, and other medical practitioners is critical because patients depend on the healthcare workers’ behavior. If the doctor is calm and relaxed, he will be able to attend to his patient better, analyze his diagnostics, and suggest the ideal treatment. Now if a doctor is stressed, he won’t be able to perform such duties effectively. And this will immensely affect their career.
As a responsible healthcare worker, it is important to recognize your stress levels in the early stages and take necessary steps to prevent it from rising. Here are some of the ways you can readily adopt in managing stress in your healthcare sector.
1- Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation improvises on meditation that calms the racing thoughts of the mind. This is also useful for brushing off negative thoughts you compile throughout the day. The main concept here is to focus on ‘the present’ without any involvement of future or past thoughts, so you can actively focus on what thoughts, feelings, and sensations you are dealing with right now.
This usually starts off with small sessions (around 5-10 minutes). You can increase the duration with time as you become more comfortable with this new technique. As healthcare workers and stress are interconnected, you can practice mindfulness meditation on a regular basis in order to keep stress levels at a minimum.
2- Yoga or Tai Chi
Yoga and Tai Chi are two movement forms, combined together to form an enhanced way of meditation & mindfulness that you can do anytime you want. The process involves gentle body movements along with proper breathwork and a whole practice of mindfulness.
As a healthcare worker, doing Yoga or Tai Chi is ideal for you to relieve stress. When done on a regular basis, you can improve your flexibility, increase your strength, and maintain a better balance between a calm mind and a stressful situation.
3- Healthy Diet
Exercising is just one part of achieving relaxation and mind calmness. The other part is maintaining a good, healthy, and nutritious diet. A proper intake of healthy fruits and vegetables can go a long way to provide you with the energy and immunity you need to fight your everyday stress. A natural diet is also known for its essential source of vitamins and minerals, which ultimately result in better moods and increased energy levels.
Now eating healthy also means you need to avoid processed foods like snacks, fast food, carbonated drinks, etc. As natural food results in mood-boosting relaxation, an unhealthy diet can lead to increased stress levels, depression, and fatigue.
4- Regular Exercise
One of the main reasons for stress in healthcare workers is not exercising regularly, since exercising is a powerful weapon against stress (especially chronic stress). Even if you’re a provider feeling overwhelmed with duties, you should still try to allocate at least 30 minutes for your body to heal from the damage that stress caused to you.
Exercise releases special chemicals in your body known as ‘endorphins’. Endorphins are natural mood lifters that fight against negative stress energy to defeat them. As a result, you can notice improved and happy mood levels, improved focus, and lots of energy at your disposal.
5- Quality Sleep
When you work as a healthcare worker, that too in a stressful environment, you cannot compromise on your sleep. Due to the nature of the work, you should aim for at least 7 to 8 hours of sound & peaceful sleep in order to fully recharge your body and recover from that day’s stress.
It’s understandable you might have had a disturbed sleeping schedule. But try to fix it as soon as possible as it is one of the major reasons why your stress levels amplify with time.
6- Limit Caffeine & Alcohol
Caffeine and alcohol might be temporary relief from stress but they are not long-term solutions. In fact, they can do more harm than good. Caffeine, if you take it frequently for a long term, can increase your default anxiety levels and disrupt your sleep. With time it can worsen your stress levels by a great margin.
Alcohol, on the other hand, can temporarily cause you relaxation and make you forget all the healthcare worker stress you have at that moment. But in the long term, it’s a master sleep killer. Alcohol can disturb your sleeping schedule and cause frequent awakenings. Moreover, more alcohol consumption can lead to various health problems.
7- Spend More Time in Nature
Your body needs to connect to nature from time to time as this is one of the most vital ways of managing your stress in the healthcare industry. Different studies have shown that spending time in green areas like forests, parks, etc. can considerably reduce your stress hormones.
Plus the green color of grass, plants, and trees is proven to provide peace, improve focus, and boost mood. Since it’s important for you to maintain your focus in your work environment, you should dedicate some time in your day to spend in natural surroundings.
8- Connect with Colleagues
As an active healthcare worker, stress in your professional environment is inevitable. And it gets even more difficult when you have to face it alone. That’s why it is highly recommended to connect with your peers and colleagues from time to time, listen to them, and be supportive.
Studies reveal if you have a companion who can only listen to your problems and what you’re going through, it can significantly release your stress levels since you released your stress in that conversation. You can share stories - funny stories, sad stories, etc. This will also help you strengthen the bond with your colleagues.
Since stress at work is unavoidable, you can use the 8 techniques mentioned above to control your mood and dispose all your negative energy in a proper way. Start implementing these strategies today. And watch your stress levels come down while your mood, joy, and sense of fulfillment flourish.
