How to Help Healthcare Professionals Reduce Stress
Working in healthcare is incredibly rewarding, but it also comes with a tremendous amount of stress. The pressure of having patients’ lives in your hands, coupled with the often unavoidable long shifts can cause even the calmest person to feel the heat.
As an employer, you’re in a position to help your staff cope with stress. Doing so not only benefits the employee, it is also reflected in the quality of their patient care. Happy, relaxed healthcare professionals are in the right mindset to help others, so use these tips to help them combat stress in a healthy manner.
Offer On-Site Fitness Resources
Getting active is one of the best ways to beat stress, so make it easy for your staff. Create an on-site fitness center and/or hold regular fitness classes, such as yoga and kickboxing. Employees can get a workout in during a break from a long shift or before or after work. Making time to go to an off-site gym can be a challenge, so bring the fitness resources to them.
Serve Healthy Cafeteria Food
Eating healthy is a great way to combat stress, but you can’t expect your staff to follow a balanced diet if the cafeteria barely serves up any healthy offerings. Busy people don’t always have time to pack a lunch, so your employees live on cafeteria food. Work with the cafeteria manager to create a few guilt-free menu options that actually taste good. Certain foods like leafy greens, salmon and oatmeal are thought to help reduce anxiety, so make sure these staples are readily available.
Maintain a Positive Work Environment
Negative attitudes are contagious. Feeling stressed is a natural side effect of a pessimistic work environment, so make yours nice and cheery. Set the tone by treating your team with respect and they will follow suit. Encourage people to see the bright side of every situation, and if you notice someone about to reach their breaking point, pull them aside for a pep talk.
Schedule Breaks Regularly
Your employees are only human, so there’s limits to the amount of work they can endure before feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. Alleviate stress before it starts by requiring people to take breaks after a certain number of hours on the job. Stepping back from work for a few minutes to enjoy a meal at a leisurely pace, call a loved one or even take a few deep breaths will help your staff maintain their composure throughout a hectic day.
Encourage Extracurricular Pursuits
A solid work-life balance is hugely important for stress relief. Healthcare professionals need a hobby or an interest outside of work to focus on that makes them truly happy. This can be anything from spending time with their family to traveling the world, as long as they have time to enjoy it. All work and no play leads to burnout, so make sure your employees are able to have a life outside your healthcare facility.
Expanding your healthcare team is a task that can’t be taken lightly. To learn more about how we can help you find top behavioral health talent, contact us today at (513) 651-9500 or by email at [email protected].