How to manage overwhelm when work really sucks
Dr Rachel Morris
?? Host of You Are Not A Frog Podcast | Former GP helping healthcare professionals beat burnout and work happier.
If you’re a doctor or professional in a high-pressure job, you probably have a pretty good idea of how to manage your time.?
When all is going well the things that are important get done - and the rest you’ve learned not to sweat over too much.
And then - there’s THOSE days.
The ones where nothing seems to go well at all.
How do you stay on top of things then?
Here are 3 things to bear in mind when you’re facing extra challenges at work.?
#1 Remember that chaos isn’t helpful
On the You Are Not a Frog podcast a while back, Dr Jane Sturgess mentioned a really interesting study that took place in 2017. Researchers found that chaotic workplaces had far higher error rates, far higher levels of burnout, and far higher levels of staff turnover than peaceful ones.
It’s a great reminder that if things are feeling chaotic right now, it’s OK to pause and put some energy into getting them back under control.?
It’s good for you, it’s good for your team, and it’s ultimately good for your patients.
Give yourself as much time as you can to take stock, look at the systems (or lack of!), and take steps to create a calmer environment - even if it means putting some other tasks on hold.?
#2 Understand that mistakes are part of growth
Many doctors find ourselves almost paralysed by the fear of making mistakes, especially when we’re overwhelmed, stressed, or demands have escalated.?
If that’s something you find challenging, you might be interested in Amy Edmonson’s work around psychological safety.?
When she began to research this topic, she looked at a hospital team that was the highest performing in their organisation - and found they also reported the most incidents and failure.?
Her conclusion? It wasn’t that they made the most mistakes - rather, they were committed to diligently reporting them, every single time, so that they could share and learn from them.
That anecdote has stuck with me because it really confirms my experience that mistakes are the best learning.?
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Of course, I’m not saying we’d ever make mistakes deliberately as doctors. We do all we can to avoid them. But if you’re overwhelmed and you’re adding to your stress with a fear of what would happen if something went wrong - remember:
Try not to worry about the possibility of errors. Human beings make mistakes. It’s inevitable that at some point, you will slip up. But if you’re committed to learning and sharing from them - in the long run, you’ll only strengthen your performance, and that of your team.?
#3 Take some time out
When things are extra chaotic, it can feel impossible to switch off. In fact, we tend to beat ourselves up even more when we’re feeling overwhelmed - focusing on everything that needs doing, instead of recognising everything we have achieved.?
If you’re having a bad day (or week, or month…) remember - when it comes to solving problems, contributing to your team’s success and achieving good outcomes, your own energy and focus is the most precious resource you have.?
Instead of telling yourself you’ll rest up and have fun “when things get back to normal” - ask yourself what you can do TODAY to fill yourself up a bit.
Maybe it’s deciding not to check email in the evening, or even leaving your phone in another room. Getting stuck into a great novel, taking a 10 minute walk in the fresh air, or unwinding with a hilarious podcast. Of course you don’t really have time for these things - but do you have time to end up off sick, burned out, or deciding to quit your job?
Give yourself permission to focus on your own wellbeing, and you’ll be better resourced to tackle the bigger system changes you’re facing at work.
Want some practical support to manage overwhelm?
If you’re a doctor who’d like some help handling overwhelm in a high-pressure context, do join us for next week’s Permission to Thrive training. We’ll be exploring this topic in lots more detail, so you can discover:
Plus, you can connect with fellow doctors also facing overwhelm and pressure - and clock up CPD hours while you’re at it.
Head of Health Equity at Healthcare Central London
3 年Dr Rachel Morris Thanks for sharing! I particularly like: "Give yourself permission to focus on your own wellbeing, and you’ll be better resourced to tackle the bigger system changes you’re facing at work." This is something I see over and over again - even though we all know that it is important to look after our health and wellbeing, unfortunately, it is the first thing to slip when we are feeling stressed and overwhelmed. I think one of the first steps is accepting that we are never going to get to the end of our to-do lists or on top of our emails - when you've completed one task, another one appears and there is only a finite amount of time in the day (and our lives as a whole!)...
Senior Manager, Account Strategy at mPulse, Inc
3 年Good advice for everyone!
Clinical Psychologist - When Work Hurts Podcast - Creative Restoration | Preventing burnout and vicarious trauma in psychologically challenging workplaces
3 年Great article Dr Rachel Morris! I specially like this line: "Instead of telling yourself you’ll rest up and have fun “when things get back to normal” - ask yourself what you can do TODAY to fill yourself up a bit." It's those small restorative acts that can add up to help us achieve a sense of balance again.