If you want to avoid burnout, it’s important to self-reflect and start thinking about things you can do yourself.
Of course, a lot of burnout is caused by external factors and environments, but a bigger portion is caused by how we receive it.
I am sharing with you some powerful changes you can make in your life to feel less nurse burnout!
Don’t worry, I’m going to explain everything very clearly so you leave this page more motivated and excited to combat your exhaustion and burnout!
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Even though there are many reasons why nurses are getting burnt out, and valid reasons while at that, nurses can be making it harder for themselves, believe it or not.
I’m a nurse, so in no way, shape, or form am I blaming nurses for their own burnout!
What I want to get across is how to manage and control your life in a way where getting burnt out is less likely severe.
Many aspects of the nursing workplace contribute to burnout, such as:
- high expectations
- minimal breaks
- unrealistic demands
- unsafe practicing
- feeling undervalued
As stated in this article by Mayo Clinic, “Health care professionals expect and want to work hard, but need to do so in environments that are sustainable.”
It’s important to recognize the causes of burnout, and then evaluate how you can handle them better.
I’m a huge believer in removing yourself from a situation that no longer serves you. If a workplace is causing you burnout and you are seeing a decline in your mental, emotional, or physical health, it’s time to find a new job! Check out my post on 6 nursing jobs for better work-life balance and less stress.
5 Changes Nurses Can Make To Feel Less Burnout
1. Be More Vocal About Your Feelings
Burnout has a tendency to grow angrier and bigger the more we keep it to ourselves.
Instead of bottling up what we are feeling, it is important to let it out and share it with someone trustworthy.
Oftentimes, we think “What’s the point of telling someone? It won’t help make it go away.”
While opening up won’t eliminate your burnout just like that, it’s a step in the right direction.
Voicing our struggles opens the door for solutions and advice.
If you’re feeling burnt out and overly tired with your work, tell somebody you trust.
Remember, it’s not an immediate solution, but it’s part of the solution process. If it was that easy to fix, everybody would be doing it.
Preventing and getting out of burnout is a marathon, not a sprint.
2. Don’t Agree To Everything That Comes Your Way
Let’s talk about boundaries. In order to prevent nurse burnout, you need boundaries.
Picture a waiter at a restaurant holding a stack of plates. Every 30 seconds, someone passes by and adds another plate. We all know where this is going…eventually, it will be too heavy for the waiter and the plates will drop on the ground.
Nurses, the same thing can happen to us. Instead of plates, it’s patients, requests, demands, expectations…
You cannot manage it ALL and think you won’t be affected.
By agreeing to everything that comes your way, you are assuming you are superhuman and will be just fine…until you aren’t.
Learn to say no sometimes. Figure out the amount of work that is healthy for you, then create boundaries and limits.
3. Make More Time For Self-Reflection
Self-reflection is a basic requirement in life. In order to move forward and not remain stagnant, you have to self-reflect.
Nurses are busy people, and once they get home, the last thing they want to do is anything that requires brainpower. Slapping on the latest reality show and eating something quick sounds about right.
Make time to reflect. It can really be anywhere, such as in the car driving home, in the shower, while exercising, while cooking, etc.
When you are self-reflecting, ask yourself these tough questions:
- What is bothering me the most right now?
- What is one thing that would make me feel a lot better?
- What would help if I had more knowledge about it?
- Is the thing that is bothering me fixable or will it never change?
Your answers to these questions are going to help you figure out your approach to burnout.
4. Start Scheduling In Alone Time
When you are in the thick of it, getting stuck in the eat-sleep-work-rinse-repeat cycle, it’s easy not to prioritize alone time.
The benefits of alone time are pretty incredible. Stepping away from life essentially and just taking some time to breathe and be alone can help you in a few ways.
It will allow your mind to focus on thoughts that you so often ignore because you don’t have time.
Good things come to those who put themselves first.
Check out my post all about ways you can put yourself first! I also share how to prioritize your mental health to improve your overall well-being.
When you don’t prioritize alone time, burnout takes over and it feels all-consuming. You are giving burnout all the power.
Take that power back by using these strategies here!
5. Eliminate The Fear Of Change
Change is scary for anyone, but the great thing about being human is that we are built to adapt.
We are fully capable of adapting to change if we allow ourselves to do so.
You have to try to not give fear so much power. We have to forcefully make some changes if we want to see a change in our lives.
Einstein once said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
You know I care about you, and I’m not calling you insane. But, the fact of the matter is that we can’t expect change if we keep doing the same things over and over again.
Look at change dead in the eye and tell yourself “I can do hard things.” Because YOU CAN.
Whatever change you know you need to make in order to become happier, make it. There is rarely a good time, and each day that passes is a day that you could have been happier.
Final Thoughts…
If you think you are making any of these mistakes, don’t worry. They are all fixable!
I won’t tell you it’ll be easy. What I will tell you is that it’s extremely worthwhile.
When you want to prevent or get out of nurse burnout, you have to focus on what parts of it are in your control and then really work on it. I mean really work.
Many causes of burnout are inevitable because well, that’s just healthcare. We can’t change the demand, the types of patients we get, or a lot of the bureaucracy.
What we can change is the way we exist, think, and feel.
Start making some of these changes today, and reap the benefits in no time!
QUESTION: What is one thing that would make you feel a lot less burnt out right now?
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