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Healthcare is an inherently stressful profession. The situations healthcare providers encounter on a daily basis are unimaginable to many others: the beginning of life, the end of life, and everything in between. The recent global COVID-19 pandemic exposed myriad challenges in the healthcare industry, mostly via the national news media. Much of the coverage accurately described and showed the environment in which healthcare providers must work.
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Additionally, political and social unrest has potentiated an increase in violence in society, which unfortunately has spilled over into healthcare settings. Not only must healthcare providers be clinically adept, but they must also be environmentally aware, serve as counselors, adopt keen negotiating skills, and more. This added pressure to perform in an already chaotic work environment has taken a toll—and some providers have left the profession permanently.
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We believe many of the effects of stress can be successfully mitigated with the proper mindset, intentional training, and the deployment of useful tools to reform the work environment and build adequate coping mechanisms. Learning how to successfully navigate stressful conditions builds hardiness and the ability to be resilient.
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Practice Pearl
Recognize that the healthcare environment is chaotic, fraught with unpredictability, and can be inherently stressful. A positive mindset about taking on the challenges of the day is key. Much of our perception is based on past experience and current emotions, and then it manifests in how we are feeling from those thoughts.
Action Step: Challenge yourself to change how you think about starting your workday (if you feel negative feelings, make a conscious effort to switch to positive thoughts about what is going right versus what is going wrong).
Action Step: Consider keeping a log in a journal about: 1) How you began the day, 2) What you worked through during the day, and 3) How you ended your day. This exercise will allow you to see patterns and also how thoughts affect behavior.
Limit the effects of uncontrollable environmental influences that may cause stress by self-identifying early warning signs: feeling overwhelmed, experiencing mental and/or physical fatigue, and a change in thinking (positive to negative). These can all be remedied by taking a break.
Action Step: This is all about being present and aware in your environment: of yourself, others, and what is happening around you. Try practicing being fully present with no distractions and see what you notice. You can write what you learn here:
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Action Step: If this was a positive experience for you, you can consider adding it to your journaling activities or select certain days to document the information.
Learn to be emotionally aware. Emotional intelligence and practicing self-control are key strategies to overcome the effects of stress.