Ten Ways To Deal With Work Stress During This Pandemic

I am stressed. You are stressed. We are all stressed. We all have somehow found ourselves in the midst of a global pandemic, childcare has become scarce and now many of us are juggling trying to homeschool our kids through online learning while dealing with hardships brought on by this arduous year. Tempers are short, mood swings are high and workdays are long while relaxing evenings sometimes seem like they are a thing of the past. What was already a stressful job has turned into a nightmare of hustle and bustle, confused patients and angry family members due to new restrictions and these ever-changing times.

Every day we push through another day, hoping to see the end in sight. We know that things have gotten so much better since the beginning of the pandemic, and we hold on to the hope that this craziness will all die down soon. What we sometimes forget to do, however, is remember that we are in this for the long haul. Our efforts are a marathon, not a sprint. The support we give our patients and the care we have with them and their family members is so important, but we need to take care of ourselves first so we can continue to be there every day for our patients and their families.

How then, are we expected to take care of ourselves with everything going on around us? With all the anxiety and uncertainty, we nurses tend to calm our patients while mentally we are dealing with our personal fears and traumas. We must not forget how important our own mental health is. Here are ten ways to deal with our own anxiety and work stress throughout these difficult times:

1. Start your day off with some positivity. Start your day by reading a page or two out of a positive thinking book or listening to some uplifting/upbeat music. This will set a positive tone for the remainder of the day.

2. Take a break from news outlets. With the never-ending stream of news and news media, we can sometimes get overwhelmed with all the negativity. It is okay to not be up to date on the latest news every moment of the day. Choose one or two media outlets that you look into once a day at specified times. That way, you are still up to date on the news, but not in information overload.

3. Increase your sense of control by keeping to a schedule. Make sure you are getting enough sleep, eating healthy meals and carving out some “me” time.

4. Video chat with friends and family. Although meeting in person has become difficult due to social distancing measures, it is still important to stay in touch with friends and family. As human beings, we need and desire this connectivity. Make the effort to set a time to see your loved one by video chat.

5. Acknowledge and understand your reactions. Like it or not, we will have reactions. We are under high-stress levels and reactions of anxiety, stress and grief are expected. Have some self-compassion and know that it is okay and normal for you to be feeling these things. If the stress gets to be too much, know that help is available.

6. Stay active. Workout? After work? You are joking, right? Actually, no! Exercise is a great way to relieve stress. Even a short walk around the neighborhood would do a great deal of good in stress relief.

7. Engage in something creative. Host a virtual paint party, redecorate a room, start coloring an adult coloring book- all of these are great ways to tap into your creative side and have a positive, creative experience.

8. Do not keep it all in. Talk openly with your friends and coworkers about how your work stress is affecting you. Together, you can talk about stress factors at your work and try to identify solutions to them.

9. Practice some self-care. A nice, long bath; a relaxing at-home pedicure and a glass of your favorite wine can do wonders for your soul.

10. Turn negative thoughts into positive thoughts. Do not let yourself be taken away by all the negativity around you. Instead of thinking, “Great, now I am going to get COVID-19 from this person”, turn that thought around to, “I’m taking care of myself, eating healthily and getting exercise so that I can stay as healthy as I can during this pandemic”.

We are all in this together. I know it can be scary, I know we are all tired, but that is what community is for. We are here to uplift and support each other. As a nurse, I personally understand what you as a nurse are going through. We have made it this far, we have fought for our patients and worked long, hard hours to try and do our part for our communities. We must not, however, forget that our own mental health and sanity is most important. To take care of others, first, we must take care of ourselves.