Healthcare professionals are highly susceptible to burnout.
There are always more people to help, more people to care for and more paperwork to file. Your work may never seem to end but in order to be at your best, you have to know when to leave work behind and enjoy a personal life. You will, most likely, never stop having the desire to help others, but you can put that on pause while you recharge.
Here are some reliable ways to avoid burnout as a physical therapist:
· Do one thing daily that you enjoy. Taking the time to experience enjoyment can keep you from feeling overwhelmed and negative. It might be a walk, a yoga session, or even an episode of your favorite show.
· Leave work at work. If possible, don’t bring home your stress. Try to compartmentalize the problems so they don’t infringe on your time at home. You don’t want to be impatient with your family or friends due to an issue at work. It is also important to keep the lines drawn between your personal and professional life for medical privacy reasons.
· Ask for help. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to ask for assistance from your team and leadership. If you are not part of a group where that is deemed acceptable, you might want to look for another team. When you are working at your max, and your team can’t step in to help when you ask, it might not be the best situation for you and your personal well-being.
· Determine what your stressors are. Try to notice when you feel your stress levels increasing. Is it with scheduling, paperwork, or creating new plans? It could be any number of things, but once you realize that you need more space and time to complete these tasks, you will be able to handle this stress more effectively. You might need to complete paperwork from the comfort of your own home office or after you’ve completed an evening workout. Learning how to handle your stress will mean you are a better physical therapist when you are with your patients.
· Take care of yourself physically. Invest in your health with good vitamins, a gym membership, a home workout system, or even some nutritional classes. Why not use a meal delivery system to ensure you and your family consistently have healthy meals? Make sure to take breaks throughout your workday by taking a quick walk, practice some breathing exercises, or just listening to your favorite music. These are little things you can do to maintain your health so you are at your peak performance.
If you are in the physical therapy field and would like to make a change to your career, contact our team at WSi Healthcare. They can help you find a more flexible team, a better work environment for your needs, or even a position with better pay and benefits. Our team is equipped to help you make a positive career move.