You're a healthcare manager with a packed schedule. How can you manage your stress levels?

Packed schedule is a good thing, but only for those who truly enjoy what they're doing. If those meetings bothers you, then something is wrong. It can be multifactorial, wrong topics, poor meeting leadership, unconducive meeting atmosphere, etc. Identify what bothers you, then if you have to power, change it or else avoid it.

Is it stress or is it pressure, both are two different things? We are mostly confused between them. Pressure is good for performance and Stress is bad for body and mind. When stressed, note down what is stressing you? Can you talk about that stressor to anyone? Can you get more information on it? Is just you or there are others too feeling the same. The most simplest way to release stressor is to first talk to someone about what is happening to you. Don’t expect the other person to be a counsellor, it’s just to know if you really need a counsellor.

As a healthcare manager with a busy schedule, managing stress is crucial. Here are some strategies you can implement: 1. Prioritize tasks: Identify the most critical tasks and tackle them first. Delegate or schedule less urgent tasks for later. 2. Time management: Use techniques like the Pomodoro Technique or time blocking to structure your day efficiently and avoid feeling overwhelmed. 3. Take breaks 4. Practice mindfulness 5. Exercise regularly 6. Maintain a healthy lifestyle 7. Set boundaries 8. Seek support 9. Celebrate achievements 10. Stay organized Remember that managing stress is an ongoing process, so be patient with yourself and prioritize self-care.

Prioritize work that needs your attention, learn how to delegate work, and use technology tools to alert or automate. Ensure you follow mindfulness, have focus stints and break. Focus stints are a you focus completely on task and not allow yourself to be distracted by calls, messages, social media notifications. This way you become more productive. Lastly avoid distractions, unnecessary meetings

Stress is an element that we cannot avoid in organizations that provide health services. Even though it is difficult to establish work-life balance, we should make an effort for this. Institutionalization efforts and self-stress management efforts will bring this to a bearable level.

Being compassionate with yourself is important as a health care professional. You’ve probably heard this piece of wisdom: “you can’t pour from an empty cup; take care of yourself first. Sleep, good nutrition, and exercise will help you stay resilient. Call on your support network and share with them what brings meaning and purpose to your life and work. Self-care is NOT a luxury. Self-care must be practiced regularly to protect your overall health, your relationships, and the important work of "caring for others" It’s very easy for stress to take over your life when your focus is on providing care. Therefore, it is crucial to make your own mental and physical health a priority and make self-care part of your daily routine.

Regarding self-care, it's crucial to remember the benefits of routinely disconnecting from work-related technology. This digital detox can reduce the constant sense of urgency and allow time for restorative mental relaxation.

Self care in healthcare management is vital. To be able to effectively manage your team and cohort of patients, it is important to ensure you are not disconnected or distracted. Managing stress in any situation, it is wise to step back, assess the scope and scale of the issue. Consider external support, downtime to collect yourself and get a “fresh head”. Taking 10 minutes to list the priority stressors is a good way to break down solutions into manageable pieces.

Blood, tears, screams, and cries for help are all daily realities we might encounter. To escape the impact of all these emotions, engaging in sports, reading books, and spending time with family can have a therapeutic effect.

Healthcare professionals often experience high levels of stress due to heavy workloads, long hours, and the emotional demands of their roles. To address this, it's essential to prioritize self-care, seek support from colleagues, and promote a healthy work-life balance. Institutions can implement wellness programs, provide mental health resources, and foster a supportive work culture to help mitigate stress among healthcare professionals.

This was a mistake I made a lot in the early days of my career. When you want to reach everything, you become disconnected from everything. That's why institutionalization is important. Who will do what, how will they do it, possible problems, alternatives, etc.

Instead of “setting boundaries”, I like to view this as being intentional with the work and focusing on having a positive relationship with your responsibilities. Understanding the balance between work performance perfectionism and knowing when to graciously delegate is also critical to success.

In setting boundaries, emphasizing the importance of clear communication with your team about these limits is key. It ensures everyone understands your availability and respects your need for undisturbed recovery time.

One thing I found helpful is setting boundaries from the start. This prevents unrealistic expectations. Not having clear boundaries leads to increased stress levels and over full diaries with no time to reflect and do the meaningful work.

One of the challenging aspects of healthcare management is learning how to say "no." As people who are called to care for others, it is inherent in our belief system to help as many people as we can. However, without appropriate boundaries, you can descend into a downward spiral of workload that will lead to eventual burnout. Blocking time in your calendar to have "me" time for self-reflection and renewal will help to bring calm and healing so you can better care for others.

Developing coping skills allows you to have a toolbox of strategies for different stresses. Alongside common techniques, I find it helpful to have personalized coping methods tailored to my individual reactions to stress, which may require some introspection but are incredibly effective.

Take a breather. Sometimes 30 seconds here or two minutes there can be all the protection that’s needed to protect against burnout. Take momentary rituals to releasing especially if you’re short on time. - Lying with your legs up against the wall for 5 minutes between 1-3pm when the afternoon slump hits. This pose will allow for blood to distribute throughout your vital organs, rejuvenating your entire body. -Sitting at your desk try this acupressure point where you cross your hands and rest your head on them for 30 seconds - Try a 10 min meditation - Take a walk.

Understand your inner feelings and mood swings and manage it according to the situation. Emotional intelligence training will be useful while handling complex problems.

If you work in a health institution, you have a multidisciplinary job and therefore you will be dealing with many multidisciplinary problems. Focusing on the problems in order of priority will prevent you from getting lost among the problems. This is an important way to deal with problems.

Healthy lifestyle: Maintain a balanced diet, stay hydrated, and get enough sleep each night. Avoid excessive caffeine and alcohol consumption, as they can exacerbate stress levels.

Embrace feedback not just as a tool, but as your strategic ally in the relentless pursuit of excellence. Navigating the tumultuous waters of performance metrics, I've witnessed the transformative power of feedback firsthand. By actively soliciting insights from team members, we catalyzed a monumental shift in a struggling hospital, propelling it from merely meeting groupwide indicators to pioneering innovation and fostering collaboration at every turn. This journey isn't solely about stress management; it's about wielding feedback as a potent instrument to amplify your leadership impact. As stress dissipates into the background, a new frontier of successes unfolds.

Emphasizing learning as part of stress management is crucial, but it's also worth considering how learning new skills may temporarily increase stress levels. Balance is key—ensure that you're pursuing development opportunities at a sustainable pace that does not add to your stress.

Aprender no sólo es sobre la profesión médica también es valioso para reducir el estrés. Logran sacarte de foco y admirar a otros expertos en otras áreas y te devuelve ese enorme sentimiento de querer seguir creciendo.

It is ok if you have a packed schedule. One of the ways to overcome stress is to add humour in everything you do, with everyone you talk to, even if it means talking to yourself. Humour yourself. Laugh a lot, even if people say you are crazy. It is far better than being stressed.

To manage stress levels as a busy healthcare manager, I prioritize self-care practices such as regular exercise, adequate sleep, and healthy eating habits. I utilize time management techniques like prioritizing tasks, delegating when possible, and setting realistic goals to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Incorporating mindfulness or relaxation techniques into my daily routine helps maintain mental well-being. Additionally, seeking support from colleagues, setting boundaries, and taking breaks when needed are essential strategies for managing stress effectively.

Prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance, focusing on high-impact activities first to prevent feeling overwhelmed by a long to-do list. Delegating tasks to capable team members or colleagues can help lighten the workload and reduce stress.

In my experience I have found that when stressed from the job, it’s best to go all out on the clock. Then, when you are off the clock you focus on other parts of your life. Learning to compartmentalize is key. Also, understand that not all stress is bad, stress can help us perform better in our role as a leader. Learn to recognize what type of stress you are facing.

Remember that managing stress is an ongoing process, and it's essential to regularly reassess your strategies and make adjustments as needed. Prioritizing your well-being ultimately allows you to be more effective in your role as a healthcare manager.