Wellbeing during winter pressures: 10 techniques we use to improve work-life balance
Dr Nicholas Andreou,
Co-Founder
Being a health worker during the winter months is unbelievably tough. The trauma of having to work in a high pressure environment and make impossible decisions is enough to have a negative impact, in one way or another, on life at home and outside of work.
There isn't a magic solution which will miraculously tip the scales towards a superbly balanced work-life, especially at this time of the year; after all being a frontline worker is one of the hardest jobs around.
For weeks I’ve been trying to collect a list of techniques that have worked for me, my friends and my family all of whom are healthcare professionals at various degrees of their careers. I have to admit that it hasn’t been easy compiling the ‘killer’ list precisely because there isn’t one. Some of these tips will work for some, and for some others they will be completely useless... but here we go, I hope some will prove useful to you or your loved ones.
10 techniques to help improve your work-life balance, during the winter pressures, as an NHS worker
1/ Don’t be afraid to seek help - normalise your experiences
80% of doctors experience burnout - yet only half seek professional help. It’s more important than ever that we talk about how we feel and share our experiences to help us and others with mental health concerns.
There are a wide number of places you can turn to that offer wellbeing support services for NHS staff:
You Okay, Doc?: a registered charity founded by doctors providing mental health support
Nourish: an app providing free support to parents in the NHS
DocHealth: confidential psychotherapy for doctors
Wellbeing support specific for various services including alcohol support and bereavement
Various other support services via the BMA
2/ Tap into your non-healthcare support network
There’s no doubt that fellow healthcare colleagues are a fantastic support network - after all they understand what you’re going through far better than anyone. Being able to share experiences and get advice from those with first-hand understanding is key.
However, I’ve found that leveraging my non-healthcare support network was actually very helpful too. You don’t need to ask for specific clinical or situational advice; occasionally just being able to achieve a sense of normality outside of healthcare acts as a welcome break.
3/ Limit the time spent thinking about work
When you get home after work, give yourself a set time limit for reflection and a debrief regarding work (say, 30 minutes). After that, change the subject and focus on activities that relax you.
4/ Consider approaching any work-related anxiety in a different way
Being on an out-of-hours shift is very stressful. Needless to say that there are plenty of good reasons to feel stressed - it’s a high risk, fast-paced environment with a reduced level of support from the rest of the organisation. However, research summarised by Alison W Brooks from Harvard Business School shows that we can train ourselves to feel less stressed if we approach an uncertain or high-stakes situation with excitement. Brooks herself explains: “My findings demonstrate the profound control and influence we have over our own emotions. The way we verbalise and think about our feelings helps to construct the way we actually feel”
Tell yourself that any jitters are in fact signs of excitement. Train yourself to expect (rather than just hope) to do well!
5/ Try to set some boundaries by aiming to leave work at work
Take adequate time before the end of (or sometimes after) your shift to think through the shift that just passed. Before leaving work mentally go through the list of patients you’ve seen and reassure yourself that you’ve done everything you could, before leaving work. In that way you will hopefully reduce the sudden bursts of anxiety in the middle of the night on whether you’ve prescribed or given the right dose of x or y medication.
6/ Change out of your work clothes
It’s a tiny thing but changing from your uniform or work clothes is a great way to establish a clear boundary between work and life (no matter how comfy scrubs may be!). Shower, unwind and put on a new set of clothes to refresh your body and mind - and don’t use (albeit clean) scrubs as loungewear!
7/ Take your annual leave
Whilst it’s a commonplace feeling, you shouldn’t feel bad for booking time off. Taking holidays, time to see friends or simply a day to rest and recuperate is vital to your mental health. And according to research, not allowing the body to rest doesn’t just leave you mentally exhausted - it can impact muscle and joint recovery too.
We recommend days off to our patients - so why not to ourselves? Having adequate time off can also increase your motivation and productivity when you return to work - so you’re actually more useful to your colleagues and patients after a well-deserved break.
8/ Convince yourself that your job is just your job (even though it’s not)
There’s no doubt that as a healthcare professional your work is fundamentally important to society and it’s not ‘just a job’; it’s a vocation. However, I’ve found that it really helps to tell myself that I was doing a job and it still ends when the shift ends!
9/ Make the most of your days off in lieu
Make the most of days off in lieu and enjoy the flexibility that shift work provides compared to the traditional 9-5
10/ Adopt good sleep habits
Fact: NHS frontline staff don’t get much rest. Long shifts, working nights and a lack of time to switch off often lead to poor sleep habits and a feeling of burnout. However, there are a number of things you can do optimise your waking and sleeping hours:
Some prepare for night shifts by ‘banking’ sleep 24 hours before / others try to not let night shifts affect their routine
Maintain normal eating patterns and avoid high calorie/fat/carbohydrate foods
Maximise light exposure to keep you alert during work and reduce blue light during rest times
And remember, your safety is paramount - don’t drive if you haven’t had enough sleep and get adequate rest before making important clinical decisions
Get the full guide to maximising sleep on your night shift.
A note of thanks
Your job is saving people’s lives - and so your mental health should be a national priority; we should all treat it that way (starting from ourselves)!
What are your tips for achieving a good work-life balance?
We’d love to hear them, as well as any ideas you have for how Locum’s Nest can support you. Please get in touch with us at hello@locumsnest.co.uk