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5 Burnout Prevention Strategies for Health Care Professionals

By Amy Landolt | Published January 3, 2016
BurnoutThere is an increased risk for burnout for those in a healing profession – healthcare providers, counselors, faith leaders – because of the intensity of their work which includes excessive demands on their time and emotions. According to the CareerBuilder study, The Care Crunch: 2013 Health Care Trends, 56% of health care professionals reported a high rate of burnout among themselves and their colleagues.
Warning signs for burnout
Symptoms that indicate risk for burnout include feeling emotionally drained, negative self-talk, making cynical or sarcastic remarks, or having trouble making decisions. While we all experience these symptoms at times, when they don’t go away with time off, it can indicate a more serious concern. Some people experience physical symptoms as a result of burnout such as high blood pressure, headaches, sleeping issues, depression, anxiety or addiction.
Strategies for preventing burnout
1) Get support from others
  • Connect with mentors or colleagues.
  • Join or form a group of people who will inspire and support you.
  • Seek professional help. If you have access to an employee assistance program (EAP), take advantage of the available services.
2) Take care of yourself
  • Eat well.
  • Drink enough water.
  • Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep.
  • Make time regularly for a physical activity that you enjoy.IMG_1872

3) Reduce stress

  • Learn tools to help manage your stress such as meditation, prayer, yoga, imagery, humor, breathing exercises, and journaling.
  • Get acupuncture, massage and/or cognitive therapy treatments.

4) Set boundaries

  • Learn to say no to requests on your time.
  • Set a block of time where you completely disconnect from technology every day.
  • Schedule activities/commitments to force yourself to end your work day.
5) Have fun doing activities that have nothing to do with work
  • Spend time in nature.
  • Play games with family and/or friends.
  • Take up a hobby or revisit an old one.
The Northshore Acupuncture Center is helping prevent burnout by offering complimentary monthly stress relief treatments for healing professionals. Contact us at 815-814-1319 to sign up for a complimentary group stress relief treatment at Northshore Acupuncture Center in Skokie or to schedule a complimentary stress relief treatment at your healthcare organization.
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