How can you manage stress when balancing work and family demands?

Nurses are well known for going above and beyond for their patients, but often neglect their own well-being. Engaging in self-reflective techniques can provide a valuable means to evaluate the stressors stemming from the workplace. Assessment is the initial phase in the nursing process and plays a pivotal role in enhancing work-life balance.

I would first suggest getting a quality of life assessment by a clinician that covers the five domains of life. This would give a comprehensive & accurate view of your environmental stressors, societal roles, self perception, along with actual use of your time. Taking that information with the recommendations & prescriptive, give your self an achievable balance. Apply those stress reduction prescriptive in micro moments daily to decompress. Give yourself quarterly incentives where your self care is priority number one. Set up respite & no to low tech initiatives during those times as well. Yes. Anyone can say drink more water, exercise, laugh more & do spa days but let’s be honest a more customizable approach yield better outcomes.

Working in healthcare can be so programmable, meaning after a while you get ‘institutionalized’ by the medical and recovery model infrastructure. To the point of ‘taking orders and caregiving on and off the clock’. Make a conscious effort to turn the health care “caregiver” button off. It takes such intentionality, and courage to ignore the need to help when you clock out. Even friend and family request those skills from you outside of work, resulting in you acquiescing and not saying no. Procuring a short tactful phrase in saying no can be quite practical and useful when setting that boundary. Ie. “I’m not a Therapist/Nurse today, but on Monday I will be Friend, ask me then”.

Establishing boundaries is among the most challenging psychological obstacles to surmount in the nursing field. For newly graduated nurses, it becomes apparent that failing to set boundaries can deplete their emotional reserves. This can lead to dedicating all their energy to patients and their profession, leaving nothing for themselves and their families, even though most nurses hold family as their top priority.

Join an affinity group, wellness collective, hire someone to complete your social calendaring like a concierge. Make each of the self care time blocks so incentivized that you just can’t wait to engage in that experience. Often times these customized supports improve access and reduce the friction of logistics. Persons already experiencing stress will often flake out on self care when faced with accessibility or service delivery barriers at the last minute.

In my experience and field of expertise, it is challenging to see the positive in the day to day work. It is important to understand your “why,” why you do what you do. What wakes you up in the morning. Challenging negative thoughts is hard, acknowledge the thing, if you can’t change it, vow to do & be better one step at a time. Having a grateful heart, saying please, thank you and making it a point to thank people and acknowledge the work people around you do is equally impactful…even if it’s “just their job.” We all need affirming. Managing stress is a constant practice. Making sure that you drink enough water, do something for yourself daily, even if it is eating lunch on a bench outside, getting vitamin d and a quick walk.

One of the areas that many people forget to focus on is their bodies. Somatic reactions to stress sometimes are the only clues. They can include headaches, neck aches, body tension, elevated heart rate, rashes, hives, etc. For example, I once had a client call & say, I have knots in my stomach, but I don't know why. I asked if anything annoying or frustrating happened that day? She responded that someone was very rude to her in a meeting, discounting her ideas. In our effort to remain mature in our behavior, we forget to notice that our body is trying to tell us something. If we ignore all those little signals, they add up & suddently we have an angry outburst at someone that doesn't deserve it, like our loved ones. #BanishBurnout

Stress, burnout, and extreme fatigue in the nursing profession typically signal systemic issues. It is essential to direct our attention toward implementing changes at the system level rather than attributing blame to individuals.