b'SELF CARE GUIDE|best, they may not be able to give patients whatTake Care of Yourselfthey need. This makes the job very stressful. THE POWER OF SMALL, SIMPLE STEPS A healthcare facilitys leadership team should do all it can to create a (relatively) stress-Left unchecked, sustained occupational stressfree work environment for employees. inevitably leads to burnout, a real and seri- But healthcare workers still have to mind their own well-being if they want to keep ous mental state that can cause a great dealoccupational stress in check.of personal and professional damage, saysPayal Sharma, PhD, an assistant professor of business at the University of Nevada-Las Holland-Kornegay.Vegas, offers a few self-care tips for healthcare professionals. For example:Supervisors should learn to be attuned toTake breaks. To the extent work schedules and job demands allow, take a walk. Give symptoms of stress-related burnoutirrita- yourself timeout from the pressures you are facing, says Sharma, who is also the founder bility and decreased productivity, for example,of an experiential stress management workshop for business school junior faculty, held at the she says. But moreover, the hospital or facilityAcademy of Management Annual Meeting. should have systems in place that help miti- Stay connected to the different parts of your identity and life. Can you send a gate employee stress in the first place.quick text or make a short phone call to a loved one, to help ground you amidst the workday, For example, Holland-Kornegay urges cre- thus offering a bridge of respite between your professional and personal life, and reminding ating stress-free zones that allow healthcareyou of your connections outside the job setting?workers to have a place of refuge.Focus on what you can control. Ask yourself to what extent can you control what is Many stress-relieving gestures can be smallhappening to you as part of your work experience? Can you instead re-frame the narrative in and simple.your mind and think about what parts of your day, interactions with your supervisor, coworkers Make sure healthy snacks are fully stockedand/or recipients of your care that you can actually influence? within break rooms. While it might be eas- This takes practice, says Sharma. But, doing so can help your mind break down seem-ier to turn to junk food for comfort, shiftingingly large, overwhelming and looming threats or challenges.their attention toward healthy snacks such asSoothe yourself. Even if its only for a few minutes, think about what you can do to bring peanuts, almonds and yogurt will help keepyourself peace and calm. For example, think about what you liked to do as a child, suggests them energized, says Holland-Kornegay, add- Sharma. Can you incorporate pieces of those experiences into your day-to-day routine? ing that the right, relaxing music in the back- Making a cup of tea, going for a run, pursuing hobbies or reading a favorite book can all offer ground can have a calming effect as well.comfort during times of great stress.That said, leaders cant completely change the stressful nature of working in healthcare.toward helping employees stay centered, espe- Medscape, National Physician Burnout, But they can and should look for ways to helpcially in uncertain times like right now, addsDepression & Suicide Report 2019. give workers some sense of control of theirDuffy, who is also a member of the NationalAccessed 4/1/2020 [https://www.environment, says Sharma.Taskforce for Humanity in Healthcare.medscape.com/slideshow/2019-life-This might vary by organization and workHealthcare leaders need to check in withstyle-burnout-depression-6011056]needs, she says. For example, can leaderstheir frontline staff as much as possible nowMedscape, 2018. Accessed 4/2/2020 encourage teams of their workers who areand after the coronavirus pandemic. Look[https://emedicine.medscape.com/doing similar jobs to have short but impactfulfor signs of depression, observe behavioralarticle/806779-overview#a1]meetings where they talk about what is withinchanges, and give them a safe place where theyLai J, Ma S, et al. Factors Associated their influence, and to evaluate how effectivelycan openly share their feelings and talk aboutWith Mental Health Outcomes they are performing along these lines? their fears and concerns without judgementn Among Healthcare Workers Exposed Naturally, facility leaders set the toneto Coronavirus Disease 2019. JAMA within the organization and help to deter- REFERENCES Netw Open. Accepted for publica-mine acceptable and unacceptable behaviorsMelynk B, Orsolini L, et al. A Nationaltion March 23, 2020.[https://jamanet-and reactions in given situations. They owe itStudy Links Nurses Physical andwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/to each employee to be honest about the stressMental Health to Medical Errors andfullarticle/2763229]theyre going to encounter on a daily basis. Perceived Worksite Wellness. JournalThe Joint Commission, Sentinel Event Leaders shouldnot gloss over the realityof Occupational and EnvironmentalAlert, 2018. Accessed 4/1/20 [https://of the pressures at hand for healthcare provid- Medicine. Feb 2018, Vol. 60, Issue 2, p.www.jointcommission.org/-/media/doc-ers, says Sharma. Simple acknowledgement126131. [https://journals.lww.com/ uments/office-quality-and-patient-safety/in this way can give space to their employeesjoem/Abstract/2018/02000/A_National_ sea_59_workplace_violence_4_13_18_feelings and experiences, providing relief. Study_Links_Nurses__Physical_and_ final.pdf?db=web&hash=9E659237D-Such conversations can go a long wayMental.3.aspx]BAF28F07982817322B99FFB]18 SELF CARE GUIDE|2020| www.elitecme.com'