Stress is an inevitable part of nursing. In fact, nurses rank first for the topmost stressed working groups worldwide, and yet, they provide unconditional care to those in need.
Moreover, nurses are known for working in emotionally draining environments with heavy workloads and long hours.
So it comes as no surprise that members of this profession can feel exhausted and stressed out regularly.
And because stress can harm the mindset and work performance, nurses must be aware of techniques for coping and returning to work with a healthy mindset, significantly since their well-being directly impacts their patients.
So what can a nurse do to minimize stress and master the art of “caring for yourself and not taking everything too personally?”
To help you succeed in this matter, we’ve gathered a few stress management tips that will help you handle every bit of the pressure and stress that comes from being a nurse:
1. Reflect on why you became a nurse in the first place
When you’re dealing with a challenging patient or feeling overwhelmed by your caseload, take a step back and try to remember why you became a nurse in the first place.
You chose nursing as a career because you wanted to make a difference in your community and assist those in need.
Don’t be such a jerk to yourself. Pat yourself on the back now and then, you deserve it! Being a nurse is a tremendous accomplishment.
You can also make yourself more marketable in the field and apply for leadership roles by expanding your intellectual horizons. One such example of a high-level degree is an MPH program.
Overall, more than 100 different online mph programs can help you gain more knowledge and become an instructor in your field.
2. Adopt a healthy lifestyle
Making improper diet choices can motivate various factors, including a lack of time, convenience, boredom, and stress.
But when it comes to healthy eating plans, remember that there is no such thing as a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution.
It’s critical to find an eating plan that fits your lifestyle, with healthy food options that boost your energy and wellness.
When people find an exercise and eating plan they enjoy and can stick with long-term, they often feel happier and healthier, with increased self-awareness, confidence, and energy.
3. Practice deep breathing
While it may appear insignificant, how people breathe has a significant impact on their health. Deep breathing exercises can be an effective strategy to decrease stress.
It can also improve blood pressure, lung function, and other health-related factors.
One advantage of breathing techniques is that they can be used at any time and from any location to help reduce stress symptoms.
Breathing techniques can also be practiced for five to fifteen minutes to reap additional benefits. To accomplish this, it is necessary to:
- Schedule breathing sessions within daily routines
- Select a consistent time each day
- Choose a specific location that is quiet, pleasant, and easily accessible
- Dress comfortably.
4. Learn how to deal with complicated patients
Another widely accepted source of stress for nurses is the threat of verbal or physical violence. A lack of training to deal with these situations can expose nurses to anxiousness in their daily lives.
If you are unsure how to respond in this situation, speak with a senior staff member and ensure you are familiar with the guidelines for dealing with incidents in your specific work environment.
You can also demand training; knowing how to react in an emergency can help alleviate anxiety.
5. Set some boundaries
Nurses must establish clear professional and personal boundaries. This is more difficult for ” on-call ” nurses on a particular day.
However, it is critical to leave work at work on days off. This may imply disabling workplace texts, notifications, and email alerts.
It also entails preventing personal or family matters from interfering with work. Personal calls or constantly checking online digital devices for work can leave you feeling overwhelmed or overburdened.
6. Sleep well
Sleep and stress have a recurrent relationship in which stress can cause sleep problems, and insomnia can intensify stress. So, by reducing stress, nurses can improve their sleep, resulting in better performance at work.
Similarly, stress-reduction methods can be used to improve sleep. Stress causes the body to produce an excess of cortisol and other hormones, which causes an increase in energy levels.
These hormones can disrupt the sleep cycle during protracted periods of stress, resulting in poor-quality sleep and reduced mood regulation abilities.
This, in turn, leads to increased stress, irritability, and frustration. Several medical studies have linked stress to insomnia or the incapability to fall or stay asleep regularly.
Moreover, unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as excessive alcohol or overeating, can make getting a good night’s sleep even more challenging.
So make sleep a priority if you wish to lead a stress-free nursing career.
Conclusion
We hope some of these tips prove helpful as the problem of stress in nursing must be addressed. The overpowering nature of the job and its tendency to eventually cause an individual to break down are among the leading reasons so many nurses quit.
Hence, stress management practices and techniques should not be overlooked but instead incorporated into your nursing regime to help offset the idea of collapsing into a million pieces.
So take the above-said tips to heart and build an unbreakable YOU.