Prioritizing Self-Care in Healthcare Leadership
The Demands of Healthcare Leadership
Healthcare leadership is demanding, high-stakes, and essential. We often find ourselves immersed in the well-being of our teams and patients, but we sometimes neglect our own emotional wellness. This oversight can lead to outcomes that undermine our effectiveness and the culture of care we strive to create.
We spend a lot of time educating ourselves on how to care for patients and lead within a healthcare setting, but we often aren’t explicitly taught how to care for ourselves. This can lead to challenging experiences common within care professionals, such as burnout and compassion fatigue. Burnout manifests as overwhelming exhaustion, cynicism, and a sense of ineffectiveness, while compassion fatigue can leave us feeling emotionally numb to the challenges faced by our colleagues. Acknowledging these issues is the first step toward meaningful action.
I’m going to use the term we all probably have a love/hate relationship with – ‘self-care.’ Failing to care for ourselves significantly increases the likelihood of experiencing burnout and compassion fatigue. I have met a lot of leaders who think self-care is a new-age luxury that doesn’t apply to them, but I’d like to see if we can debunk that.
The Cost of Neglecting Self-Care
Chronic stress takes a toll on both our physical and psychological well-being. It can weaken our immune system, disrupt our sleep, and impair our emotional health. When we are not at our best, we cannot lead effectively, and this has a ripple effect on our teams and the patients we serve.
“As leaders, our behaviors set the tone for cultural norms within our organizations. By modeling self-care and emotional availability, we foster a motivating and energized workplace.”
The Ripple Effect of Self-Care
Self-care is not a luxury; it's a necessity that should be woven into the fabric of our daily routines. It doesn’t require grand gestures—small, intentional acts can make a significant difference. Consider the leader who transformed her leadership approach through self-care. After realizing she was burned out, she began integrating small practices into her day, such as taking short walks during breaks and prioritizing time for reflection. Her openness about her struggles inspired her team to embrace their own self-care, creating a supportive culture that ultimately improved patient care.
Daily Practices Over Grand Gestures
Self-care doesn’t have to be a grand, time-consuming event. In fact, meaningful self-care can be sprinkled into your daily routine. Many believe that self-care requires a full day off or an extravagant trip, but that’s neither practical nor sustainable. Small acts of self-care can take anywhere from 30 seconds to a few minutes and can be intentionally integrated into your day.
List 3 things you did well today
One minute of deep breathing
Take the stairs
Stretch
How can we effectively care for ourselves and protect against burnout, stress, and compassion fatigue?
Engage in a 60-second daily check-in with yourself.
Am I experiencing feelings of resentment or irritability?
How are my energy levels?
How have my interactions been with team members?
Create boundaries.
Designate specific times that are work-free, whether it’s from 8 PM to 6 AM, weekends, or specific days of the week
Prioritize your to-do list, distinguishing between essential tasks and those that can wait
Seek out professional resources.
Discuss challenges with a co-worker
Consulting a supportive boss
Engage with a peer mentor
Explore literature in your field or consider working with a coach or therapist
Daily Self-Care Habits
Add an additional 15 minutes of sleep to your routine when possible
Take the stairs instead of the elevator
Get outside for a few minutes DURING your day
Stretch or engage in one minute of deep breathing
Have a favorite lotion scent at your desk and take a minute to use it and breathe it in
Use your good pen or your favorite mug
Look at pictures of family members for 3 minutes in the middle of the day
Listen to a great song during your commute or on a quick walk outside
List 3 things you did well that day
Journal 3 things you are grateful for in a place you can see the running list
Reflection
There’s a good reason flight attendants instruct you to put on your oxygen mask first, in case of an emergency, before helping someone else. If you run out of air, you are really no help to anyone. Take care of yourself so that you can be the present, focused, empathic, effective leader you strive to be.