Navigating the Challenges of Workplace Stress

Many nurses pick nursing as a satisfying line of work that suits them, yet find that stress is a common factor in the field.

With work pressures looming, such as long hours, fast-paced environments, and caring for sick patients, many nurses realize that stress management is a crucial skill to develop to prevent overworking in a dynamic field.

Providing emotional labor to others doesn’t have to include burnout. Thankfully, you can use many coping tools to disconnect from the noise around you. Below are ways to handle and release stress to feel happier, calmer, and more at ease away from your workplace.

Identify How Stress Shows Up in Your Life

Stress is a normal part of work, as all jobs require patience and caring for someone’s health. More specifically, stress is a response to an external situation, such as handling a patient’s conflict about their medication or learning that you’ve been assigned to a different shift.

Stress can be helpful as a motivator to do hard things, but too much can become unhealthy and cause symptoms such as anxiety, mood swings, chest pain, or headaches. Emotional exhaustion can also happen if the workload is too demand-heavy, leading to a decrease in overall well-being.

Here are examples of how too much stress can manifest:

Constantly feeling overwhelmed or depressed
Lack of motivation and focus
Overeating or undereating
Avoiding social gatherings
Gastrointestinal symptoms (i.e., stomach upset)

Once you become aware of your stress symptoms, you can be better prepared to manage them using coping skills for a healthy balance of work and play.

Set Clear Boundaries

Nursing has its fair share of responsibilities, so it’s important to set boundaries on what one can and cannot do at work.

This can be difficult if you don’t often set boundaries. If you’re unsure what boundaries to establish, start with what you don’t want to do. Identifying what you want to avoid at work because of how it negatively affects you is an excellent step toward setting clear rules.

Examples of boundaries for nurses include:

Turning your phone on “do not disturb” after work hours.
Saying no to extra shifts.
Communicating what hours you’re available for work.

Even taking a break when you need it is a simple way to detach from stressors that are out of your control.

Pick One Activity That You Love to Do

You don’t have to try anything newpick an activity you like to do that gets you out of your head.

Do this at a place that doesn’t remind you of work and is enjoyable. This can help you engage more in what life has to offer and remind you of the positive things that bring you relaxation and joy. You might find that you haven’t made new meals as much as you used to, or maybe you’ve neglected exercising because you’ve been distracted by texts from work.

Pursuing a hobby can also remind us that work doesn’t have to take up all of our time and that we all need play in our lives to fully enjoy life, even if it’s just small moments of our day.

Connect with Family and Friends

Spending too much time thinking about work can make nurses feel like they’re still at work, which can be exhausting and depressing.

Connection with others is a fundamental human need that has many health benefits, including mood regulation, longevity, and stress reduction.

Talking about work problems with colleagues isn’t always necessary. Instead, focus on spending time with people you know and trust as a healthy distraction. Reach out to friends and make plans that involve doing activities together, such as exercising, cooking, or watching a movie.

Finally, reassure yourself that it’s okay to be imperfect while finding a balance that works for you. Nursing is a field that requires a lot of energy, and that’s not going to change. Know that giving yourself grace during difficult moments on the job allows you to grow, adapt, and show up as your best self, both for your patients and for yourself.

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Karie Pinnix

Karie Pinnix is a public relations strategist and freelance journalist with experience writing content for print and broadcast platforms and creating branding development with start-up companies. She’s written about topics like college nightlife, community organizations in Mississippi, and the nurse shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic. When she’s not working, you can find her exploring nature, catching up on reading, or traveling to the nearest beach.