Your Guide to Self-care as a Healthcare Professional

There is no doubt that self-care is often a neglected activity in a healthcare professional's life. Careers within the nursing and healthcare industry are often physically and mentally demanding, which can leave you feeling drained and exhausted. As a result of this, a lot of healthcare professionals are experiencing burnout. Burnout is described as a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. Studies have discovered that 92% per cent of serious mental health concerns in the Australian workplace are attributed to work-related stressors.

Healthcare professionals need to engage in self-care to combat the effects of burnout. As the old saying goes, “you can’t pour from an empty cup.” You need to take care of your physical, mental and social health first to do your job effectively and care for others. When you take care of yourself, you will have more energy to meet the demands of daily life as a healthcare professional, which you need when caring for others.

Read on below to discover how you can best care for your physical, mental and social health.

Physical self-care

When referring to physical self-care, often the mind goes straight to buying bath bombs, getting expensive facials, and receiving massages at your local spa. But it is important to remember that physical self-care does not have to come at a hefty price tag. Everyone deserves to care for themselves at little to no cost.

Taking care of your physical health allows your body to run efficiently. There is a strong connection between your body and your mind. You'll think and feel better when you care for your physical health.

Low-cost physical self-care ideas

• Park far away from your work building to get some extra steps in
• Use the stairs instead of the lift
• Strive for 8 hours of sleep a night
• Drink plenty of water
• Try a new activity
• Go for a walk with a friend
• Run a bath (no expensive bath bomb required)
• Complete a fun workout – Did you know exercise bumps up the production of your brain's feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins?

We spoke to @nursesibs,who revealed her best physical self-care tip:

“I think self-care looks different for a lot of people, so there isn’t a one size fits all approach. I believe the best thing you can do for yourself to ensure you can always look after yourself is to have some insight into what things you specifically need to feel good. If you feel better when you get up early and go to the gym before an AM shift, great! If you feel better taking a sick day to drink warm cups of tea in bed and get takeaway, also great! Whatever you need to make sure you are okay, do that. You are the most important patient you will ever care for.”

Mental self-care

Good mental health involves managing your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. Incorporating self-care strategies into your everyday life as a healthcare professional can aid you in being more efficient at work. When your mind is healthy, you can easily give to others. Having an occupation where attention to detail is imperative, it is vital to give yourself at full capacity. Making sure you have an adequate self-care routine will ensure you can do so.

Low-cost mental self-care ideas

• Deep breathing exercises
• Listen to music – FYI, we created a self-care playlist so you can add your own songs!
• Write down your goals for the week
• Journal your thoughts
• Cook your favourite meal
• Try some words of affirmation - Studies have shown that positive affirmations help activate parts of the brain that are associated with self-related processing and reward and even produce endorphins!
• Meditate
• Read your favourite book
• Write down five things you are grateful for

We spoke to Biz Care influencers @midwifezoeand @thebreakthroughnurse,who gave us their best mental self-care tip!

“I think the most important tip is to always find time to do something that brings you joy. Whether it’s walking a pet, painting, reading, etc., it’s important to always do something that brings you happiness and peace outside of work.” - @midwifezoe

“Take time to process your emotions post-shift and look after your nervous system! Nursing is a highly stressful job and can cause us to feel a range of different emotions. If we don’t make the space to work through what’s coming up in us, it can leave us feeling frazzled, depleted and ultimately burnt out! There are lots of different inner tools like breathwork, journaling etc., you can use, but making yourself and your emotional health a priority is super important!” - @thebreakthroughnurse

Although, sometimes we need a little bit more assistance than self-care, so always remember to seek professional help when needed. There is always someone out there to support you.

No-cost counselling services

AU: Lifeline, Beyond Blue, Suicide Call Back Service, Head to Health

NZ: Lifeline, Samaritans, Depression Helpline, Healthline

Social self-care

Often social self-care is a neglected activity in healthcare professionals’ lives. Incorporating social self-care into your routine, like socialising with friends, gives your mind time to rest, reset and rejuvenate so you can avoid or reduce the symptoms of stress and anxiety. It can be as simple as setting a boundary and saying no when asked to work an extra shift when you know you are overworked and stressed out.

There are plenty of ways you can socially take care of yourself. Always remember to surround yourself with people who uplift you. Social self-care involves having a supportive network of people you can turn to when you need uplifting, guidance, or someone to talk to. Social connection helps create a sense of belonging and acceptance.

Low-cost social self-care ideas

• Schedule a phone call with a friend to catch up
• Spend some quality time with your significant other
• Cuddly your furry friends
• Unfollow accounts that make you feel bad
• Learn to say no
• Enjoy an outdoor picnic with a friend
• Do a random act of kindness

We spoke to @vet.in.a.van, who shared her best social self-care tip.

“My top self-care tip would be to find the right level of work-life balance for you and your family based on your priorities. If you're not enjoying what you're doing and where you're at, then make changes so it works for you. Life's too short not to make the most of it!”

Self-care should be an essential part of your everyday routine. Need help getting started? Biz Care is running a giveaway where you can win your very own self-care package to kickstart your journey. Visit our Instagram page to find out how to win!