How Can Healthcare Professionals Prioritize Self-Care?

For those in the healthcare industry, their health often comes second to that of their clients. This is understandable. Many have taken the Hippocratic Oath to do everything in their power to help those under their care. Also, those who haven't taken the formal oath, more often than not, still hold themselves to those same ethical standards. But when this dedication overshadows a healthcare professional's need for self-care, it can be disastrous.

When healthcare professionals are hyper-focused on their client's care, their needs become minimized. Take a therapist, for example. Therapists utilize the tools and resources that they know to be effective in helping their clients achieve their goals and better their emotional states. Yet, many therapists do not seek out this same help themselves.

A healthcare professional's schedule and workload can be grueling, but it is important to remember that self-care matters. This is especially true for those in such a stressful and, at times, "life or death" field.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-CARE FOR EVERYONE

There is the potential for burnout in every occupation and every walk of life. When we become too focused on anything, the other aspects of our lives will inevitably begin to take a back seat. But when this falling away includes an individual's well-being, a change in routine and perspective becomes paramount.

Burnout does not just affect the individual. The individual takes the brunt physically, but their family, co-workers, and clients also take a hit.

A professional feeling burnout may be excessively irritable toward their co-workers or unable to focus on the task at hand. They may bring elevated stress into the home and either have no energy to engage in activities they once enjoyed or cannot relax.

Their burnout may also begin to affect their clients. For example, they may start missing deadlines, confusing, or misunderstanding critical information. As we know, in the healthcare industry, these issues are not a luxury that can be afforded.

THE ELEVATED IMPORTANCE OF SELF-CARE FOR THE HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL

The importance of healthcare workers can not be understated. This often underappreciated or understood field is quite literally one of the reasons modernity has been able to thrive. Why? It's pretty simple. Quite frankly, it keeps us alive to do so.

It is those stakes that make self-care for healthcare professionals so critical. When healthcare workers are not functioning at their utmost best, even the slightest misstep or mistake can spell tragedy for their professional reputation, business, and, most importantly, clients.

The good news is that there are tools and resources for self-care available for those in the healthcare industry, even those that feel their schedule will not allow it.

INTEGRATING SELF-CARE INTO YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LIFE

While there are many, let us merely focus on three forms of self-care: emotional, mental, and physical.

#1. Emotional Self-Care

One of the best ways to allow for emotional self-care is through the prioritization of your valuable time. Therefore, it is important to pause and protect wellness time while not at work.

Create a schedule that allows for individual wellness and gives healthcare professionals a break they need to focus on their emotional needs. This may be through a form of therapy, or perhaps something more holistic like breathwork exercises, or even something on the spiritual plane like a meditation practice.

#2. Mental Self-Care

A critical aspect of mental self-care is accepting that burnout is a possibility and having awareness when it shows up. Another aspect is taking action.

When someone becomes hyper-locked into their field, they can lose sight of some of the activities they once enjoyed. The mind must get "play" as well as work.?

Keeping curious can also help with mental burnout. By learning something new, we can grow our ability to learn. Learning new information can form new neural networks in the brain.?

#3. Physical Self-Care

Yes, burnout takes a definite toll on the body. This is especially true for those healthcare workers that are often on their feet for long periods and often working at such a hurried pace.

Some of the best ways to handle physical burnout are through holistic means. The practice of yoga is a great example of this. Yoga can help the physical body recover from a tense professional setting while also allowing for self-reflection and body-mind development.

MAINTAINING A LONG-TERM PROGRAM OF WELLNESS

While all three of these types of self-care are beneficial, their effects can be maximized when integrated. There are also many other examples of self-care, such as social self-care, spiritual self-care, etc.

Whether one or many, what matters for those in the healthcare industry is that they prioritize some self-care for themselves. This will not only benefit them in the long run, but it will do the same for everyone around them.

As a healthcare professional, it is crucial to maintain a healthy balance of client care and self-care. The latter is, unfortunately, often ignored by many. Many forms of self-care can be particularly beneficial for the healthcare industry. These professionals often experience an understandable amount of burnout; however, that does not mean that it is a requirement for the job. An individualized clinical, therapeutic, holistic, meditative, and spiritual approach can help mitigate mental burnout's dangers. Self-care is critical, not just because you deserve it, but because your clients deserve you at your best as well. Next Level Recovery Associates understands this. For more information, call us today at 800-566-2516.