Everyone knows that there’s a great demand for workers in the medical field. There’s an aging population filling the hospitals and clinics, with many current nurses and doctors retiring in the next few years and leaving empty spots. But something that is less spoken of, yet shouldn’t be surprising, is the burn out rate of such professions.
They spend their entire days and nights caring for patients, filling out paperwork, dealing with family, making critical decisions, patiently explaining directions, managing other hospital employees, and more. Healthcare employees often are overworked, underappreciated, and stressed beyond belief, leading to high rates of physical wear, anxiety, depression, and unwillingness to return to work.
Because they are so set on caring for others, medical professionals often overlook their own medical needs, thinking them as unnecessary or even selfish in the perspective of the illnesses they see daily. However, without giving themselves the time and care they deserve, they can get to a point where a longer sabbatical is needed, or worse still, they cannot work at all.
Workers in the industry should really incorporate the following actions into their lifestyles if they want to maintain a healthy body, mind, and relationship with their career:
Vacation
Taking a vacation might sound frivolous, but it’s a physical need for these professionals who work long hours indoors, surrounded by pain and illness. It’s important for the mind to have a chance to recharge, as well as the body. Sleep in, take long walks, think about anything but work. You might be tempted to skip your vacations to get some extra hours or gain seniority over a colleague, however, in the long run, the benefits you gain from sacrificing time to get away will greatly outweigh whatever you might think your staying around will get you.
Engaging in Relationships
It’s important to have a life outside of work and have people be a part of that. Even if you aren’t romantically involved with anyone right now, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t spend time and effort on your other “relationships”. Meet up with your friends, visit family, go on dates. Having a strong network of people around you means that you are more resilient to difficult situations. If you have children, make sure that they know who you are, what you do, and that they are loved. Otherwise, you will hate the job that keeps you from participating in the lives of your little ones, if not immediately, then later on.
Invest in Your Interests
Yes, we are happy that you think your job is interesting. And if you do think this way now (you might already be past this) you most likely won’t after a few years. Having something else take up your time and get you excited is essential for mental health and is a great way to meet other like-minded individuals.
Maintain Your Body
You spend your days taking care of others and instructing them on lifestyle changes that can positively affect their lives. Now it’s time to take some of your own medicine: care for your body! Go to the gym, book a massage appointment, take advantage of the professional services of a dentist in Montreal. Nourish your body with good food and respect it for what it allows you to do.
Medical professionals, it’s time to practise what you preach and live a healthy lifestyle! First step: make some distance between you and the job you fulfill. That way you can find time and will to live your own life purposefully and with a healthy mindset, hopefully resulting in a more fulfilling and long-term career.
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