5 Ways to Manage Workplace Stress for Caregivers
The professional journey of a caregiver working for a private home care provider, or an agency, is a rewarding one, but not without its share of guilt, grievances, and stress. All of our caregivers at Right at Home Canada are highly empathetic to the patient's needs and go out of their way to make sure that you and your loved one's needs are a priority, above all.
However, we are all human and need some time to decompress and take our mind off of our work. Below, we have compiled five common ways to manage workplace stress for our caregivers, and anyone in a services-based profession.
After a hard day at work, the last thing you may want to do is exercise. However, after the initial period of sore muscles, you may notice you have a lot more energy at work, and afterwards, you may also find you can handle yourself better in your day to day life, and find better solutions to work, on the spot!
Going for a brisk walk, or run, is a fantastic way of immediately distancing yourself from a stressful situation, burning off some extra calories, and distracting you from potentially negative thoughts. Swimming or golf are other great ways to burn off some extra calories, and stress, while improving your ability to make social and professional decisions.
Breathe
Eastern spiritual practices believe in the dual nature of cause and effect. That mental and emotional states control the breathing and posture of an individual and vice versa.
If the breathing becomes intermittent, erratic, or otherwise not natural, then one should focus on their breath and that their physical state will revert to a neutral mode as a result. Instead of counting backwards from ten, trying taking ten deep breathes!
Smile
A salesperson's best tool is their smile. It works on multiple levels; you can imagine yourself as an actor and put on a persona that can deal with the situation at hand.
Although it may be a great short-term way to manage your stress, we suggest trying this technique in combination with some of the other four suggestions in this article.
Compassion
By practising empathy and putting yourself in the other person's shoes, without judgement or preconceptions, can change your entire mental and emotional state in an instant.
Empathy and compassion are the heart and soul of services based industries. Being a less quantifiable measure than sales or profit, they are the most overlooked.
Celebrate
Life is suffering. So celebrate! Enjoy a night out with your friends, host a party for your family (the relatives you get along with), and replace your stress with joy and delight.
Conclusion
Most of the time, the journey for caregivers has good days and stressful ones. We hope that we can contribute to realistic expectations and encouraging mature and professional symbiotic relationships.
Please contact your local Right at Home branch if you are interested in learning more about private home care services for you or a loved one in need.
