A 2022 survey found that nearly half of those surveyed reported feeling unwell due to stress in the workplace, while since the COVID pandemic, burnout and stress have cost the NHS more than 50 million working days, according to the Observer.
A medical career is often described as a calling or a vocation, not just a job role you fall into. However, with the increased pressures, the medical sector is under little wonder why this “vocation” is becoming increasingly difficult for those taking up medical careers.
Should you expect some level of stress when working with patients? And what can you do to help you reduce stress? Sure stress is part and parcel of working with patients and the huge responsibility being in this profession comes with a lot, however being able to manage your stress levels can allow you to to live a happier and healthier life.
These tips can be helpful in reducing workplace stress in the medical sector.
Protect Yourself
In the first instance, you need to look at what you can do to protect yourself. It might be saying no to taking that extra shift if you’ve already more than your contracted hours. If applicable, you could negotiate better working conditions and a more manageable work-life balance. Or it might be having ongoing training and skill sessions to help you brush up on your skills, knowledge, and bedside manners to protect your reputation and avoid any mistakes that can impact your career and your patients’ lives.
Taking out the right type of clinical indemnity for medical professionals will also protect you in the event of any legal issues relating to your treatment of patients. If anything goes wrong during treatments or you make a mistake, having this insurance covers you.
Acknowledge Stress and Identify Your Limits
Accepting that the job role you have trained for comes with some level of stress is essential. You cannot expect everything to be sunshine and roses all the time. It’s not feasible for any job role, let alone one in the medical field. However, while some levels of stress are and should be expected, knowing your personal limits and what you can work with or even thrive on will help you put boundaries in place.
That’s not to say you should struggle until you hit this line; it means knowing when things are becoming too much so you can be proactive instead of reactive and address issues before they get out of hand. Your stress limits might be completely different from those of your colleagues, and that’s okay; remember, everyone is different, and just because some people seem to do well under increased levels, it doesn’t mean you need to, too.
Practise Mindfulness and Meditation
While these two actions can often be seen as a more holistic remedy for stress, they’re not magic pills that will instantly erase the cause of your stress; sadly, it’s not that easy. But what they can do is to give you the chance to clear your head when things get too much and help you to address what is going on. It can be all too easy for you to succumb to stress, and things spiral out of control. Practising meditation and mindfulness can help you to take a step outside of your head and focus on the bigger picture so you can move forward with anything that is bothering you. Instead of thinking of these actions as a resolution, use them as a tool to help you regain focus and control.
Get Mental Health Support
The last thing you should be doing is struggling with increased stress and or anxiety alone. Bottling all this up will only impound the stress and cause things to spiral out of control.
Find someone to talk to whom you trust and who you can open up to. This can be a friend, colleague, manager, or therapist. Being able to express yourself and share with others the stress you are under will serve you well in the long run and help you find ways to efficiently manage your stress, reduce it, and get some clarity on the situation.
Eat Well and Exercise
A poor diet and lack of exercise can often contribute to poor mental health, and when you’re coping with high-stress levels, it’s hard to see how this can make you feel even worse than you.
Try eating a balanced, healthy diet and moving your body as much as possible. You could take a walk that raises your heart rate slightly; even 10 minutes a few times per day is beneficial. Include more wholegrain, highly nutritious foods in your diet, too. The better you feel physically, the easier it will be to deal with the problems causing you mental anguish.
