Sometimes doctors also need a doctor to heal. It’s a fact that physicians are more prone to burnout. They get exhausted, and there are higher chances of falling prey to addictions and ailments like other people. Hence health practitioners need to maintain their health.
Their wellness is essential for themselves as well as their patients. Burnout and compassion fatigue significantly affects the practitioner. It destroys the ability of the physician to treat the patient with the same compassion and dedication. The care quality degrades with time because the care provider is not as vigilant and strong.
Healthcare practitioners have long duty hours; they sometimes pass on their vacations just for patient care. Amongst the health care practitioners, nurses have the unhealthiest lifestyle. They have to manage a lot of patients at one time. They are sleep deprived because of consecutive tiring shifts and no gap in between.
Nurses who work in the emergency departments or intensive care units have to deal with traumatic injuries and combative patients. Under such circumstances, they tend to ignore their health and fall ill more frequently. Their work requirement is that they cannot keep up with continuous education in such a busy schedule.
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Following are some easy and practical ways for healthcare practitioners to stay healthy.
1. Good night sleep
Sleep plays a significant role in regulating the physical and mental health of an individual. It dramatically impacts our body’s metabolism and improves the immune system. Even though healthcare practitioners know the importance of sleep, their working schedule gives them less opportunity.
When a physician is awake for more than 24 hours, cognitive performance degrades. Sleep deprivation causes an increase in negative emotions such as anger, fear, and anxiety. Hence, it is essential for a regular sleeping schedule, but unfortunately, it is difficult for a healthcare professional.
So, for a good quality sleep, all you need is a sleep-promoting environment. Turning off the lights, comfortable room temperature, and earplugs can help create an ideal setting. Hence, try to carve out sometime or take prophylactic naps as soon as you get an opportunity to sleep.
2. Healthy food choices
Healthy and nutritional food has become a significant problem for modern-day men, especially for health care professionals. The busy schedule and late-night shifts leave them with the choice of fast food readily available but with no nutrition. A healthy diet helps in combating viruses and bacteria that are present in their environment.
Healthcare professionals have a small window of time for eating and drinking each day. Hence, they need to focus on a diet that satisfies their taste buds and fulfills the nutritional requirement. Therefore make sure your daily lunch is rich in proteins and fibers, as it gives the feeling of being full for a more extended period.
Add healthy foods rich in healthy fats such as fish, soybeans, nuts, etc. a healthy diet will keep you motivated to treat patients efficiently.
3. Exercise regularly
Doctors, nurses, and paramedics spend hours on their feet each day, taking care of the well-being of others. And while taking care of others, they tend to neglect their health. So as soon as they get home after a tiring day, they are left with little to no energy for exercise.
So if you wish to get out of this vicious cycle of wanting to exercise but are mentally not ready for it, you can stretch your body whenever you get a chance. This way, your body will feel relaxed as health care professionals have to do a lot of work that requires twisting, pushing, pulling, and bending.
Work on your endurance; it will help you out with long working hours and a high workload.
4. Benefits of socializing
Humans are social butterflies, and they crave connection and belongings. Physicians and nurses spend most of their time at the hospital, and they get little chance to socialize with their friends and family. But socialization is the best way to release stress and workplace burnout.
It helps boost confidence and self-esteem. Socialization enables you to find people of common interests, you can use social media platforms to connect with your friend and family. From there You get more chances of professional opportunities, you can learn more instagram life hack to release your stress. When you interact with people of your profession, you can share your problems and concerns and get an effective solution.
A take-home message
Having a healthy lifestyle can impact your professional performance. If you wish to be successful, it requires focus, commitment, and dedication. So being the best in your field needs you to take care of your health. But when you neglect your health, you become more tired and more vulnerable to illness.
Hence, it is essential to add healthy habits to your daily regime. You can meditate; it helps in relieving stress and improves your focusing abilities. Fuel your brain with nutritional food. A healthy diet requires proper planning, but it is worth it.
Lastly, make sure you take mini breaks in between your work. Adding these healthy habits will boost your mood and improve your performance.