Even before the global pandemic started in 2020, healthcare workers were under a lot of pressure. From long work hours to ever-changing work conditions, it can be easy to be stressed as a healthcare worker. This work-stress only increased and manifested itself into burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the pandemic, healthcare workers were on the front line, putting their health, safety, and overall life at risk to help others. Due to this, many people have advocated for a prioritization of mental health during lockdown and isolation, extending the invitation to frontline workers, on social media. While this was a great step in the right direction, many healthcare workers feel as though they may not have the time to take care of themselves and practice self-care.
Healthcare workers were one of the most affected groups by the COVID-19 virus as they were challenged on a daily basis to assist those who were infected. Even if you work in a healthcare environment and were not helping patients directly, you were still subjected to very difficult and stressful work conditions. While many people may believe that the COVID-19 pandemic is “over”, healthcare workers are still battling the virus every day.
Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with psychotherapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, and couples with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, and life transitions. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing in-person sessions and telehealth (video/phone) sessions to residents of New Jersey and New York.
What are some concerns that healthcare workers may have at this time?
Some primary concerns of healthcare workers could be:
Working long and tiring hours
Having inadequate personal protective equipment
Fear of being exposed to the virus
Fear of bringing the virus home and spreading it to family members and friends
In addition to these understandable worries, healthcare providers are protecting the public each day across the United States.
What is burnout?
Generally, everyone experiences burnout at one stage or another. Our lives can get busy from balancing work, family, social relationships, hobbies, self-care, and even more. During these times where it feels like our plate is too full, it can be easy to cast aside hobbies and self-care in an effort to fulfill the needs of others. Especially when you have a job as demanding as one in the medical field, it can be easy to make your profession your sole focus and concern. When you forget to take a moment to yourself, burnout can occur.
Burnout can be defined as a form of exhaustion. It is typically caused by a feeling of being overwhelmed for long periods of time. It results from uncontrolled, lengthened emotional, physical, and mental stress.
What can cause burnout?
Some sources of burnout can be:
Unmanageable workloads
Conflicting work responsibilities
Lack of communication
Lack of support from leadership
Unfair treatment by leadership or colleagues
Great deadline pressure
What are some signs of burnout?
Burnout is not an immediate reaction you may have to a work situation. It is a gradual process. Therefore, you may not see all or even several symptoms in the beginning. However, it is important to remember that the longer your symptoms go unaddressed, the worse they can become which can lead to a mental breakdown.
Some signs of burnout include:
Exhaustion
No longer participating in previously enjoyable activities
Reduced performance
What is the difference between burnout and stress?
On the surface, it can be easy to confuse burnout and stress since they share some of the same signs. Stress leads to burnout and not the other way around.
Here are some ways to know that you are experiencing burnout and not stress:
Feeling tired and/or exhausted on a daily basis
Having negative feelings towards your job
Inability to perform your job
How do I manage burnout?
The first step to managing burnout is being honest with yourself. Once you admit that you are taking on too much, you can talk to a supervisor about some options to lessen your workload. Remember that communication is important in creating a healthy work environment.
You can also try exercising mindfulness or participating in a relaxing activity. Working with a licensed therapist who specializes in burnout and stress management can allow you to identify certain methods and activities that may reduce your stress since each situation and person is unique.
What are some effective ways that I can lower my stress and prevent burnout while working in the healthcare setting?
When you are facing stressful and possibly traumatic situations in a health care facility, it can be difficult to pause, take a deep breath, and place the focus on yourself to practice some self-care. However, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your mental health.
You can stop and take any free moment you have to try out the following:
Recognize how valuable you and your co-workers are to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. While this fight may certainly have had its fair share of challenges, your work makes a difference. Each day you are making the active choice to help those who need assistance the most.
Practice self-love. There is no manual for day-to-day living as a healthcare worker and there certainly was no roadmap for how to get through the COVID-19 pandemic. You are trying your best and your work is having a positive impact in the lives of some of the most vulnerable people. Your situation can be taken day by day or even hour by hour. Regardless of how you view your situation, it is important to take breaks as much as possible in order to prevent burnout.
Validate your emotions. Your emotions are valid. Any feelings surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic are not necessarily right or wrong. There’s no set, correct method of thinking. If you are experiencing a wide range of emotions, it is completely normal. You have the right to feel sad, overwhelmed, frustrated, angry, restless, anxious, fatigued, or worried.
Find ways to be optimistic. Whether you were hearing the increasing number of confirmed cases or the shortages of protective equipment, trying to be hopeful in such a dark time can be challenging. However, it is crucial to try to see the light. During stressful times, it can be helpful to donate supplies or money and/or check out the good work that local organizations are doing. You can even do something as simple as recognizing the hard work of frontline workers, like yourself.
Talk to a mental health professional. Talking to a licensed mental health therapist can be a beneficial move regardless of your profession, but it can especially help healthcare workers. Even without considering the pandemic and its long-lasting effects, the medical field is demanding to say the least. Long and grueling work hours, in addition to difficult work situations like sick patients, can take its toll. By meeting with a counselor, you can balance your emotions, manage your stress, avoid burnout, and control your anxious tendencies.
As a healthcare professional, you may feel like it is difficult to take a moment to pause and simply be one with yourself. Your long and demanding schedule may pull you away from your family, hobbies, and even overall needs. By employing the tactics above, you can get one step closer to feeling like the best version of yourself again.
Victoria Scala
is the Social Media Manager and Intake Coordinator at Anchor Therapy in Hoboken, New Jersey. She is a graduate of the Honors College of Rutgers University-Newark, planning to study Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the graduate level. As a Social Media Manager at Anchor Therapy, Victoria is committed to producing content for and managing the office’s social media presence and blog.
