Workplace Burnout

Do you ever feel overwhelmed and overworked? Do you often feel relieved on days you don’t have to work? If you do, you may be a victim of ‘burnout". Work-related stress in nursing occupations is now almost universally recognized. Working in mental health is by its nature a stressful occupation. Anyone can suffer from burnout. But, burnout can be avoided if you learn how to recognize its signs and symptoms and take steps to prevent it. We can never totally eliminate stress but we can learn how to manage it. There are many things you can do right away which will help to restore your energy, balance your emotions or inform you about burnout and stress.
The following are some stress reduction methods:

Healthy Diet. A healthy lifestyle is an essential companion to any stress-reduction program. General health and stress resistance can be enhanced by a regular exercise, a diet rich in a variety of whole grains, vegetables, and fruits, and by avoiding excessive alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco.

Exercise. Exercise in combination with stress management techniques is extremely important for many reasons: Exercise is an effective distraction from stressful events.  Employees who follow an active lifestyle need fewer sick and disability days than sedentary workers. And most importantly, stress itself poses significantly less danger to overall health in the physically active individual. The key is to find activities that are e x c i t i n g , challenging, and satisfying. The following are some suggestions: Sign up for aerobics classes at a gym. Brisk walking is an excellent aerobic exercise that is free and available to nearly anyone. Even short brisk walks can relieve bouts of stress.  Swimming is an ideal exercise for many people including pregnant women, individuals with musculoskeletal problems, and those who suffer exercise induced asthma. Yoga or Tai Chi  can be very effective, combining many of the benefits of breathing, muscle relaxation, and meditation while toning and stretching the muscles. The benefits of yoga may be considerable. Numerous studies have found it beneficial for many conditions in which stress is an important factor, such as anxiety, headaches, high blood pressure, and asthma. It also elevates mood and improves concentration and ability to focus.  As in other areas of stress management, making a plan and executing it successfully develops feelings of mastery and control, which are very beneficial in and of themselves. Start small.  Just 10 minutes of exercise three  times a week can build a good base for novices. Gradually build up the length of these every other-day sessions to 30 minutes or more. 

Just remember...Practice Safe Stress!

Feel Well, Be Well
by Steve Thornton

• Fit in exercise during your workday – do not sit for too long in any one position; get up and move around the office or go outside when you can. Work to fit in "10,000 Steps a Day" for a healthier body and mind.
   

• Watch what you eat – eat healthy and drink plenty of water. You might need your coffee in the morning but keep your caffeine levelsdown. Do not forget to drink your eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day. Your attention level and alertness will be at higher levels when you are eating less sugar and more lean protein, fruits and vegetables. The key lies in eating a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables. Gradually increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat daily. Some experts suggest trying to eat more than the recommended five servings per day.
   

• Kick the smoking habit. Do not put it off any longer. Many serious health risks are associated with smoking, including heart disease and elevated blood pressure. Consider a smoking cessation program or talk with your doctor about aids such as nicotine gum or patches. Counseling or a support group also may be helpful. Quitting smoking may not be easy, but your health—and life—depend on it.
   

• Learn to manage stress and anger. Keeping life on an even keel is not always possible. However, you can make changes to the way you react to life’s daily challenges. Use relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, gentle stretching or meditation. Look at your daily and long-term priorities. Are your expectations realistic? "Do your best each day and let the rest go."

Work Smarter with Mandt

MANDT TRAINING helps create a positive mindset, as well as teach employees to handle difficult situations. 

The leaders and governing body of our hospital are always aware of the need to improve safety and provide additional support to you the direct care staff member. In efforts to improve safety of both patients and staff members, in an environment of limited resources, the leadership and governing body has selected the Mandt System for implementation state wide. The Mandt System provides skills and techniques that will help more effectively support patients and staff members during crisis situations.  When resources are limited we all have to work smarter so as to not work harder. 

The motto of the Mandt System is “Putting People First.” This motto applies to both staff and patients. The principles of the Mandt System are simple and revolve around two key premises, one is a Relationship Based Process-its about Dignity and Respect, two is Proactive Interaction-its about prevention.  With these ideas in mind the Mandt System teaches skills that can effectively prevent a crisis or diffuse most crisis situations.   

The Mandt System currently is a two day training with the first day covering three relational chapters and the second day covering three technical or physical intervention chapters. Mandt believes that the first three chapters, the relational chapters, are the most important taught.  Each chapter has a written test with the technical chapters also having skills checks.   

The first chapter is about building healthy relationships.  Relationships are the context in which work gets done. We have relationships with everyone we come in contact with and our interaction determines if the relationship will be positive or negative. This chapter provides skills for building and maintaining positive relationships with those around us. The second chapter teaches healthy communication skills. Healthy communication is the key to resolving conflict.   The third chapter builds on the concepts and skills taught in chapters one and two and teach us healthy conflict resolution.  This chapter provides a definition for conflict and an approach which ties conflict resolution into healthy relationship building. 

The second day of training covers three technical chapters that teach physical supports in accordance with the principles of treating people with dignity and respect.   

The Mandt system is a ‘Relationship Based Process’ and teaches that honesty builds trust, and trust builds healthy relationships. The course also contains several ‘eye opening’ exercises that teach the importance of teamwork in reaching common goals. The main goal of this program is simple, by taking this course, and using the skills, both we the staff of GRH-S, and our patients will be safer.