Healthcare professionals have reached their breaking point. Staff shortages, emotional stress, overwhelming workloads, and pandemic-related concerns about their own and loved ones’ health have taken a significant toll. Burnout rates are skyrocketing, with “60 to 75% of clinicians reporting symptoms of exhaustion, depression, sleep disorders, and PTSD.” Sound familiar? It’s certainly expected to feel a certain amount of stress and fatigue due to the demanding nature of our work. However, it can be dangerous when these feelings become all-consuming, and you brush them off as “part of the job” and “what I signed up for”.
No, it isn’t, and no, you didn’t.
Let’s get to the heart of the matter and talk about recognizing burnout, how it affects you, and what you can do.
Burnout Grabs Hold And Doesn’t Let Go Everyone has a bad day or week at work. What distinguishes burnout is its tenacity. Burnout is your constant companion and goes wherever you go – it even follows you home! In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized burnout as an “occupational phenomenon”. For healthcare professionals, burnout is an ongoing state of distress that takes an emotional and physical toll.
Burnout Warning Signs Burnout is very real and, if left unchecked, can impact your job performance and home life. You may be experiencing burnout if:
You’re always tired You have trouble sleeping and difficulty waking up. You’re dozing off at inappropriate times. You feel like you just can’t “catch up” on sleep and are constantly exhausted.
You dread going to work It’s normal to feel unappreciated at times. I’m talking about persistent feelings of wishing you were anywhere else and struggling not to call in sick.
You feel detached and dispassionate You no longer feel joyful, compassionate, or fulfilled. These feelings have spilled over into your personal life, and you feel like you are just “going through the motions” at home and work.
You feel constantly overwhelmed and anxious You have difficulty coping with even the slightest change in your work or home life. Everything feels chaotic and out of control. You feel ineffective and unfocused.
You physically hurt You have chronic aches and pains, gastrointestinal issues, and/or headaches. You feel rundown and like you catch every virus that comes your way.
Take Back Your Power and Beat Burnout I created TAP Wellness Coaching because I understand what you’re going through and what you need. I’ve lived it myself. I wanted to take my experience and expertise and use it to help those who are hurting, who don’t know what to do, and who don’t have the time or energy to comb through resources to find strategies that work just for them.
TAP is a carefully curated holistic wellness program designed exclusively for you and works around your schedule. A holistic approach that focuses on the whole person – physical, mental, and social well-being – is essential for healthcare professionals. TAP will help you:
Build Community The emotional support and encouragement of your peers play a crucial role in battling burnout. TAP offers a safe space to share your feelings and connect with like-minded peers. Together, we will begin to get better at taking care of each other and create well-being.
Prioritize Self-Care Better sleep, nutrition that energizes and boosts mood, mindfulness and meditation are all proven strategies to help reduce clinician burnout. Even with your demanding and shifting schedules, it’s possible to make small, incremental, sustainable changes, and I can show you how.
Strengthen Resilience Resilience, the ability to face adverse situations, remain focused, and continue to be optimistic for the future, is an essential skill for healthcare professionals. Resilience is a teachable skill, and there is ample evidence that building resilience results in greater personal and professional satisfaction.
Burnout among healthcare professionals is a very real, serious problem affecting how you interact with your patients, colleagues, and loved ones. Most of all, it harms the way you feel about yourself. But you can – and should – do something about it. I created TAP Wellness Coaching just for you because I understand you and I can help you. I hope you’ll consider joining me on this restorative journey.