W-10 Provider Self-Care

Provider self-care

Nurses are often faced with various issues which contribute to burnout and stress. Due to this, they are advised to care for themselves first to provide high-quality care to patients. While that has been stressed upon, nurses more often than not put the needs of patients first, and theirs come second; something through personal experience affects work output. For or that reason, I have strived to recognize my stress tolerance levels, and how I respond to stress that way, I can design and implement techniques that help deal with these issues.

I realized that I tend to overthink things and, by doing that, end up beating myself up, thus increasing stress and anxiety levels. Since my first response to stress is overthinking, the self-care mechanism installed to respond to this is positive self-talk. Overthinking issues make things appear bigger than they are, which can take a toll on mental health. For that reason, I strive to say things such as “you are doing the best you can” or “I can do this” to fight through negative thoughts that come with overthinking situations during nursing practice. Although positive self-talk has a positive impact, it does not help deal with stress long-term, thus why I took up meditation sessions. Mediation helps a person take some time to clear the mind. By taking a step back through this activity, one is able to interpret a situation mindfully and at the moment. Meditation is a relaxation technique that helps clear my mind and decrease the adrenaline and anxiety rush that comes with stressful events. The given activity also helps with listening to what the body needs; that way, I cannot be overtaken by burnout, which can negatively impact patient safety.

The other mechanism I have learned to adapt to care for my health and wellbeing as a provider is to unplug from the world for a few minutes, as this decreases anxiety and helps me get in touch with my body, mind, and spirit. Social media is especially a dangerous place to visit. I try to stay away from Instagram and Facebook, and generally my phone for at least thirty minutes to focus on other things that can keep me engaged but instead of increasing stress, they relax my body. Throughout my life, I have known that I enjoy reading novels and drawing landscapes. I tend to focus on reading when I am unplugging for a few minutes. When I decide to take a whole off social media, I focus on drawing. The landscapes are an escape for my mind as I try to imagine where I would rather be meditating and engaging with positive activities through a sunset or under the moonlight by the beach. While I consider these two my top hobbies, I have also tried to engage in gardening and cooking as well.

Sleep is a significant part of my energy level boost, so I have grown to prioritize my sleep, making sure that I get six to eight hours of sleep. Whenever I attain this goal, my energy levels at work are usually high, which improves work output. I have also adopted the mantra “sleep early and wake up early.” One last tip towards my self-care mechanisms is that I have decided to practice self-care once a week. During these days, I focus on what my body needs, such as getting a massage to release tense muscles, eating my favorite greasy food, or writing through a journal about everything I am grateful for and reading through poetry. I have witnessed overwhelming success in these activities, and thus I plan to put them in place during my practice; that way, I can avoid burnout and keep myself healthy mentally, physically, and emotionally.