Nurses and healthcare professionals often choose this profession because they want to help people. However, with the demands of our healthcare system, they give so much at work they are left unable to enjoy their personal lives. Some of the frequently experienced symptoms of this burnout from over giving and overworking include missed family milestones, snapping at loved ones when you don’t mean it, and generalized and often overwhelming exhaustion.
To create a career you enjoy while having a thriving life outside of your work, it takes developing skills in five key pillars. When you start to develop these areas, you will experience a better quality of life inside and outside of work.
Pillar One
The first pillar is positive thinking. I want to add the disclaimer of being inauthentic with this: if you’re feeling miserable, slapping a smile on your face and saying everything is wonderful will not make you feel better. However, choosing to focus on things that are working and that you do enjoy within your life does start to shift your thinking and improve the way you are feeling. This can start with focusing on your skills in your career or acknowledging a situation you handled well. As you focus your brain on these good things, your brain will naturally start to find more good things, and you will gradually feel better.
Pillar Two
As humans, we crave to be part of a group. When we disconnect ourselves from others, we feel isolated and alone, like we are the only ones going through a difficult situation. In healthcare, we often experience traumatic events. To mitigate some of the psychological risks, creating strong positive social connections and support is vital. Having people you can go to to unpack and vent about your experience can help you move forward more quickly. Look for support people who are open, nonjudgmental, and more optimistic focused.
Pillar Three
As a coach, I encounter many nurses who feel unsure and lost in their careers. The high demand of this profession has caused them to lose sight of what is important to them and why they got into this career in the first place. Finding a strong meaning and purpose behind your career helps create a stronger sense of overall fulfillment and makes those tough days more manageable. Find a strong reason that makes it worth it, that helps drive you toward what you want for yourself and the impact you desire to have on your world. The stronger the “why” the greater the sense of passion and purpose you create in your career.
Pillar Four
The beautiful thing about healthcare is there are hundreds of different paths you can take with your career. The biggest mistake I see newer nurses doing is following someone else’s career path. You have unique skills and talents that set you apart from someone else. Your skills can help you narrow down your specialty and allow you to focus on what you do best. This lets you master your work and feel more fulfillment and passion for it.
Pillar Five
The last pillar is one of the most important,; your physical and emotional health. If your body is not functioning, your career and personal life will suffer. As you’ve probably experienced first hand, your body can compensate and survive for a long time being neglected until it starts to break down. Once it breaks down, getting to optimal health is very difficult. Keeping your body supporting your desired life takes daily care and maintenance work. Get consistent exercise that works for your life, consistent sleep, good nutrition to fuel your body, and self-care activities that make you feel rested and restored.
Focus on improving one area at a time can help you make progress to building a thriving life without feeling overwhelmed with all the new habits to add. Celebrate the little wins and as you get comfortable with one and add another, soon enough you will feel like your life is thriving inside and outside your career.