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
Working safely
is important but so is living well. We should all develop
habits that allow us to live healthy full lives. Here are
some wellness suggestions that may help you:
– 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.
|