Is Your Personal Battery Charged?

The holiday season is here, and – for many people – this time of year evokes feelings of warmth and joy with an emphasis on spending time with loved ones and taking time to rest and relax. Unfortunately, health care is one of the few industries exempt from this downtime, and it’s not just patients who experience the holiday blues.

The reality of the holiday season for many health care workers doesn’t feature meaningful time spent with families or a well-deserved week off. Instead, that reality consists of heightened stress, increased job demands, clashing cultural ideas of what holidays are “supposed” to be, and the exasperating expectation to be filled with holiday cheer. Stress experienced during the holiday season can lead to increased feelings of sadness, anxiety, disconnectedness, loneliness, and social isolation. According to a recent survey conducted by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) (2021), 40% of health care workers are anxious about working long hours during the holiday season and 54% say their stress level increases during the holiday season.

Many health care workers are already running on empty by the time the holidays roll around. Health care professionals need a consistent routine of well-being practices to stay charged, alleviate distress, avoid burnout, and remain connected to family, friends, colleagues and patients.

Health-Care Burnout

Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, pressure on health care teams was on the rise, and the prevalence of burnout among physicians in the United States was at an alarming level, with half experiencing symptoms (Shanafelt et al., 2012). During the height of the pandemic, physician burnout rates across all specialties reached an all-time high, with 62.8% of physicians reporting at least one experience of having burnout in 2021 (Shanafelt et al., 2022). In a report published recently in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, Rotenstein et al. (2023) found that clinical staff, and non-clinical support workers in health care, also experienced substantial levels of burnout; nurses had the highest reported rates of burnout at a whopping 56%. To add insult to injury, satisfaction with work-life balance, depression, and professional fulfillment were also impacted. Many workers reported that they wanted to leave their jobs within two years – including nurses (41%), clinical and non-clinical staff (32%), and doctors (24%).

Negative Impact of Stress and Burnout

Burnout is not conditional upon career stage, nor is it correlated with years in practice (Shanafelt, et al., 2003; Pentti et al., 2008). The risks associated with high stress and burnout are many and can lead to burnout syndrome (Fontán et al., 2001) and compassion fatigue (Bush, 2009), which can affect both physical and mental health, as well as compromise work productivity, performance, and quality of care (Adams et al., 2008; Balch et al., 2009; Oreskovich et al., 2012). Burnout can lead to emotional exhaustion, depersonalization (i.e., feeling detached toward patients), a low sense of accomplishment (Wallace et al., 2009), and an increased risk of suicidal thoughts (Shanafelt et al., 2016).

Stress and burnout in physicians can lead to behavioral and performance issues at work, conflict in the workplace and at home, and dissatisfaction with jobs and careers (Shanafelt et al., 2012; Dewa et al., 2014). Studies show that even small increases in stress and burnout scores can lead to more perceived medical errors (West et al., 2009; Shanafelt et al., 2010), reduced work hours (Shanafelt, et al., 2016), and decreased patient quality care and satisfaction (Krumholz et al., 2013).

How to Keep Your Well-Being Battery Charged During the Holidays

For many health care workers, stress goes unnoticed, building up over time when the focus is on providing excellent patient care – but not self-care. If your well-being battery is running low (or is completely dead), you won’t have enough energy to give to your patients (or your colleagues or even your loved ones) – and you run the risk of burnout. Adding self-care to your personal routine and advocating for self-care to be a priority within your organization’s culture is critical to making sure that your well-being battery stays charged during the holidays and beyond.

Here are 10 simple ways you can prioritize charging your well-being battery and take control of your mental and physical health:

1. Take Inventory. Tune in to your body and mind and distinguish your symptoms of stress. That includes physical symptoms (e.g., headaches, stomach issues), psychological symptoms (e.g., irritability, sadness, worry) and behavioral symptoms (e.g., increased eating and drinking, trouble sleeping). Try to reduce your number of triggering activities and use the tips below to cope with the things you can’t avoid.
2. Change Negative Thoughts. Negative thinking can be hard to overcome during the holidays; for a lot of us, it’s automatic and can lead to distress. Select the thought that causes the most negative emotions. Push yourself to come up with realistic but more balanced thoughts (e.g., “While family gatherings usually end badly, I’ll plan ahead to sit next to the people I enjoy or make an excuse to leave early when things get tense”) or replace your negative thought with a mantra (e.g., “I’m doing the best I can.”).
3. Move Your Body. Exercise can be extremely effective at boosting your mood and alleviating symptoms of depression. Any amount of exercise is better than none. Try doing something active every day. Stretch each morning. Take a walk outside. Use the stairs instead of the elevator. Do a yoga pose before bed.
4. Do Things That Bring Pleasure and Joy. Prioritize activities that make you feel happy. Watch your favorite movie or listen to your favorite podcast or playlist. Get back to a loved hobby or order in from your favorite restaurant. Buy yourself flowers, light a scented candle, or put on flannel sheets. Make it a point to carve out some time each day to do at least one thing that brings you genuine joy.
5. Maintain a Balanced Diet. Remember that mood is heavily impacted by what you eat, and during times of stress we tend to reach out for comfort foods (and there is plenty to choose from during the holiday season). Food can also be a source of pleasure and joy. So, be mindful about what you eat during the holidays. Keep a healthy, balanced diet as part of your daily routine and enjoy treats guiltlessly (within moderation) during gatherings and events.
6. Stay Well-Rested. Sleep may be difficult for many health care workers trying to balance pressure from work with time to celebrate the holidays. Practice good sleep hygiene (e.g., limit caffeine, wind down away from screens, use white noise, keep the room cool before bed).
7. Practice Self-Compassion. You are not perfect, and it’s okay to feel overwhelmed and to make mistakes. You are doing the best you can to take care of yourself and others. Practice patience and compassion not just with others but, most importantly, with yourself.
8. Consider Mindfulness and Meditation. Mindfulness has been proven to be highly effective in reducing stress and decreasing burnout among health care workers. Practice relaxation strategies, such as mindfulness, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and visualization. Download a mediation app on your smartphone or just find a quiet, calm spot to close your eyes and take a few deep breaths several times a day. Build this into your daily routine to feel more relaxed throughout your day.
9. Express Yourself. Chances are you are not the only one feeling the stress of the holidays. Try talking to a coworker or friend who understands your source of stress or, try journaling for 20 minutes a day a few days a week. If those things don’t help, consider reaching out to a professional who can objectively listen to you and offer direction and support.
10. Stay Connected. It can be easy to feel lonely or to isolate yourself when you’re feeling overwhelmed by the holidays. Don’t overextend and give yourself permission to say no. Set self-protective boundaries before you meet with family or friends and choose to be around people who will make you feel good and not add to your emotional burden.