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Keeping Yourself Well – Preventing Stress & ill Health in the Workplace

 

  • At the beginning of your placement, arrange regular meetings in advance with your clinical and/or educational supervisor for feedback and support in your post

  • Isolation in the workplace can impact on health and wellbeing; ask your clinical supervisor to introduce you to a clinical ‘buddy’ during induction, someone who you can approach for help and advice.

  • Introduce yourself to the wider team and develop a ‘hello’ list or have lunch in the staff room from time to time to get to know the team.

  • Share problems early with colleagues, a family member or friend that you trust and accept support. Sharing and talking about how you feel with the right person is never weak. Don’t keep something that’s stressing you to yourself.

  • Make time for family and friends to preserve valued relationships. Try and plan times/trips out in advance.

  • Try to take 15 mins at the end of your working day for reflection and then leave work ‘at work’

  • Save some protected time for yourself everyday.

  • Prevent unnecessary ‘stressors’ affecting your well-being. Identify the must do’s and leave the ‘can wait’ until it moves up the priority scale.

  • Say ‘No’ to low stakes demands on your time.

  • Prevent relationship difficulties in the workplace. Meet with the ward or theatre sister, ODP or charge nurse for a coffee once a week for 15 mins. It will be time well invested and give opportunity to establish a team relationship - a friendly forum to chat through and iron out problems early on that may escalate into conflict if left.

  • If you find yourself regularly working excessively over your hours act early before it becomes a problem - talk to your clinical supervisor.

  • Try to develop mindfulness by focusing your attention on the present experience.

  • Consider seeking support from a mentor or coach

  • Try and eat healthily (it will boost your energy level) take some fruit with you to work and try not to get dehydrated during your working day.

  • Develop a ‘get away from it’ hobby that’s easy to pick up and put down. Consider a club or group activity such as choir or drama – be a joiner.

  • Try and exercise regularly or if you’re feeling too tired, push yourself to ‘fast walk around the block’ or run up and down the stairs each morning before your shower.

  • Avoid alcohol on work nights and drinking to ‘blur’ your emotional response to an incident, unpleasant difficulty in the workplace or insomnia.  Preventing a pattern of behaviour developing is a lot easier than controlling a spiralling problem in later life.

  • If you find that you are prone to stress, try and slowly strengthen your resilience with self help or assisted techniques.

  • Ensure that you are registered with a GP.