5 Ways to Maintain Your Mental Health in the Medical Field
A negative stigma often surrounds conversations about mental health. The reality is that mental health is just as important as physical health. Mental illnesses affect 1 in 5 adults, but only half of those diagnosed receive adequate treatment. This May, SpecialtyCare honors Mental Health Awareness Month. We acknowledge the unique challenges that people with mental health issues face and work diligently to break the negative stigma attached to it.
Importance of Mental Health Awareness
There’s no better time than right now to recognize that mental health is an essential component of our overall health and wellbeing. Everyone faces unique mental health challenges, but different treatments and activities can make a positive difference. During an unprecedented year with the COVID-19 pandemic, the emotional labor that healthcare workers have endured has only drawn more awareness around the importance of mental health.
Mental Health in Healthcare
Working in the medical field can take an emotional toll on healthcare workers. Night shifts, traumatic events, and the death of patients can lead to many forms of mental illness. Some of the most common mental health issues healthcare workers experience is chronic stress, sleep disorders, substance abuse, depression, and thoughts of suicide.
Mental Health Activities
Here are five ways to maintain your mental health while working in the medical field.
1. Recognize the valuable role you play.
Battling the COVID-19 pandemic this past year, healthcare workers have only proven their role to be more critical to the health and well-being of our communities. Recognize the valuable role that you play and understand that you’re making a difference every day.
2. Eat healthy options and get enough sleep.
Eating a healthy diet will fuel your body to perform under the high stress that comes with working in the medical field. It also ensures that you feel your best throughout the day. In addition to eating healthy foods, drink water throughout the day to stay hydrated. Also, try to get seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can make a huge difference in your mental health.
3. Maintain an active lifestyle.
Staying active several times a week is a great way to relieve stress and improve your mental health. Whether it’s walking, going for a run, or taking a boxing class, participate in activities that you genuinely enjoy.
4. Take a break from social media and television.
Social media and the constant news cycle can become mentally draining. Take regular breaks from your computer or smartphone to reset your mind. When you’re online, be mindful of the amount of positive content you view versus the amount of negative content you view.
5. Stay connected with loved ones.
Staying connected to loved ones this past year has been critically important to maintaining our mental health when people couldn’t be together in person. Regular check-ins with family and friends, even if just a few minutes, can be extremely helpful. Even as we slowly begin to gather in person again, there are still many ways to stay connected with loved ones virtually.
About SpecialtyCare
SpecialtyCare is dedicated to providing an exceptional patient experience, becoming the OR employer of choice, and leading the way in OR innovation. They do this through staffing operating rooms and providing the equipment needed for medical procedures.