People who work in healthcare experience some of the toughest and most stressful working conditions. If the recent pandemic is anything to go by, it’s clear that doctors, nurses and other health professionals have a lot to deal with. With their main aim being to take care of others, it’s easy to see why they might not take very good care of themselves.
If this sounds a little like you, this could be the wake-up call you need to take better care of yourself. Ensuring you stay fit and healthy can help you perform better at work, so that you can continue to deliver excellent patient care.
Here are 5 ways health professionals can take care of their own health this year.
1. Plan ahead to help reduce stress
While the healthcare industry can be unpredictable, you can take steps to help yourself feel more prepared throughout the year. Planning your days, weeks and even months in advance in line with rotas and shift patterns can help you take care of your admin, your personal life as well as work - ensuring you feel as in control as possible.
Make time for the important things. Get covered with a doctors insurance company to provide protection at work, and try to plan your downtime in advance. Get yourself a planner to help you manage your schedule, helping you feel less stressed overall.
2. Prep your meals to eat well
If you’re guilty of relying on convenience food and snacking instead of enjoying proper meals, it’s time to change your habits. You would advise patients to eat well, and you should follow the same advice.
Meal prepping can help ensure you always have nutritious food to get you through the week. You can find some great inspiration on TikTok to help you take care of your meal prep without it taking over your life:
3. Try to develop routines to help you make the most of your downtime
Sticking to a routine can be difficult if you work unusual shift patterns, but not impossible. Try to maintain your routine as much as possible, adjusting it as needed according to your start and finish times. From ensuring you have a good bedtime routine to getting out and exercising, there are different things you can do to help you stick to a healthy routine.
4. Learn some self-awareness
Working in healthcare can be emotional and intense, and most of your day will be spent focusing on others. However, having some self-awareness about your own needs will make a big difference to how you feel, ensuring you take steps to address your feelings so that you can get through challenging times. From acknowledging tiredness to reflecting on the day when it’s over, you can become more in tune with how you’re feeling and take part in some self-reflection to help you move forward in a positive way.
It’s easy to overlook certain issues when you are busy dealing with others all day, so while you’re reflecting, take a second to think about if there’s any pain or anything throughout your body. If you’re experiencing problems with your mouth for example, you might want to book an appointment with your dentist or look into how to kill tooth pain nerve.
5. Recognize when things are becoming too much
People expect healthcare professionals to have all the answers, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Sometimes, things can get too much, and you may need to take a step back to prioritize your own health and wellbeing. Knowing when things are getting on top of you, and finding healthy ways to deal with hard times can help you become more resilient, helping you deal with the difficulties that come with your job. Find someone you can trust to talk about what you’re feeling, you may even find that coworkers and others in your industry are experiencing the same things as you.
Working in healthcare comes with a number of challenges, but it can also be an extremely rewarding profession. Take steps to take better care of your own health this year to help you boost your physical and mental strength so that you can continue to provide the best care to others.