4 Ways for Healthcare Providers to Relieve Stress

In times that we are most vulnerable, we find ourselves completely dependent upon you. From being a nurse present aiding in the delivering of their first child to providing assistance in caring for their baby as a social worker, you are on the frontlines fighting for our lives as a health care provider. Health care providers do the dirty work. You go to work day in and day out giving your fellow man or woman your best. Being in such a heroic line of work can be an exhausting career for every aspect of your personality. Surprisingly, despite the fact that you are saving lives and promoting the well-being of others, you have completely forgotten about your own health, primarily your stress levels.

As found by a nationwide questionnaire that surveyed 3.211 workers from various industries, it was reported the employees experienced high stress in their jobs. In the healthcare industry, 69% of workers stated feelings from work-related stress. Also found in this survey, the workload of healthcare workers has increased. It was also reported that 25% of medical personnel are planning to change careers.

With such an alarming amount of information supporting the high-stress levels of a health care provider’s daily workload, it is hard to understand why many individuals continue to pursue careers in such fields. However, you did not choose to walk down this career path expecting to stop and smell the roses. There was a special calling you answered knowing that becoming a health care provider would be a road filled with bumps and trials.

Let’s discuss some ways on how to manage work-related stress, re-energize yourself and remember why you love what you do.

Confide in Someone

Whether you are dealing with the death of a patient or children of a broken home, it can be very stressful to shoulder these situations on your own. It is healthy to find someone you trust with your emotions in order to release the grief or frustrations to prevent them from building up over time.

Combat Compassion Fatigue

Compassion fatigue is known as the stress of caring too much. For those experiencing such weariness, it can trigger personal issues such as depression is not dealt with immediately. To handle compassion fatigue some strategies include surrounding yourself with social support, expelling feelings of self-blame and fault, and contributing in a community or charitable events.

Engage in Stress Release Practices

We all know that healthcare providers work hectic schedules and do not usually leave room for extra activities. In order to de-stress from your day, create habitual practices that will lighten the burdens of your heart and mind. One way to do this is to participate in physical exercise. Just twenty minutes of getting your heart pumping can elevate your mood and relieve tension. In addition to exercise, practicing deep breathing techniques is a great way to ensure calmness and relieve stress.

Take Care of Your Business

Remember after all running a practice is running a business. When your cash-flow is low, hiring the wrong person, losing a good employee or using the wrong software are just a few examples of ways to add stress to your life, so make sure you take care of the most essential parts of running a successful business.

•  Market Your Practice, picking the right medical practice marketing partner to take care of your medical business will help your practice grow. You also need to consider a service like Patient-hook that lets patients find your practice and make an online appointment.
• Healthcare IT, make sure you have a partner that understands challenges facing healthcare such as HIPAA, security risk, cloud computing or best electronic health records.
• Revenue Cycle Management, it is always a challenge to use in-house or outside billing service.
• Stay up to date on the latest healthcare news and healthcare regulations.
• Remember to effectively do your job, you need to care of your health first.