“Please, try to sleep early and avoid overthinking. It might help with those headaches you mentioned.”
That was Dr Akadi. It was good advice, but not one he was taking himself.
How could he tell her that his sleep was broken, his body tired, and his heart heavier than he let on? And that the trauma of caring for accident victims still makes him weary even after years of practice.
Maybe you’re not a doctor, and maybe you’re not Dr Akadi. But if you are a healthcare professional and this feels familiar, are you any different?
Every day, healthcare professionals show up strong for others, often at the expense of their own emotional wellbeing.
Stress is a common emotion we experience when we feel overburdened, under pressure, or unable to handle situations.
Stress, even in little doses, can help us reach our goals, such as giving a speech or completing an exam.
However, too much of it, particularly when it feels out of control, can harm our relationships, mood, and physical and mental health.
Stress is a natural response to feeling overwhelmed, under pressure, or facing a perceived threat. A certain amount of stress can help us stay focused and motivated.
However, when stress becomes chronic or feels uncontrollable, it can damage our physical health, relationships, and mental clarity.
According to the American Institute of Stress, it is not just the event but how we respond to it that determines the toll stress takes on us.
Emotional stress in healthcare is deeper. Beyond feeling tired after rounds or shifts, it is about the weight of unresolved grief, the memory of patients lost, or the pressure of routines and decisions that never quite leave your mind.
If you’ve been emotionally stressed lately, here are ten ways to manage emotional stress as a healthcare professional.
“Overcommitment often comes from the desire to help. But saying yes to everything can leave you drained and unavailable for the moments and people that truly matter. Healthy boundaries are essential for emotional strengthening, particularly in high-stress work environments that healthcare professionals often encounter.”
1. Acknowledge How You Feel
Emotional stress often becomes heavier when it is ignored. Take a moment to check in with yourself. Tell yourself the truth about how the day felt. Han Selye, who pioneered the study of stress, said, “It’s not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it.” That reaction starts with being honest about what you feel.
2. Do Not Carry What Is Not Yours
You can care deeply and still protect your emotional space. Not every difficult outcome is your fault. Learn to ask yourself, “What part of this can I control, and what part must I release?” Emotional detachment is not a lack of care; it is a preservation of your strength.
3. Build Small Routines To Help You Transition
The body needs signals to relax. This is the same as how your emotions work. After a tough day, take about five minutes to sit quietly, sip something warm, and play relaxing sounds. This can help the brain switch from high alert to calm. This is a form of emotional first aid and can help relieve emotional burdens that lead to stress.
4. Speak To Someone You Trust
You do not have to go through the emotional stress alone. Sometimes just saying something out loud gives it less power. The stress and coping theory by Lazarus and Folkman explains that emotional support is a protective factor when facing long-term stress. A good way to explain it is that the outcome of emotional stress can be influenced by the attitude towards the stressors. Healthcare professionals like you should use this theory to their best advantage in managing emotional stress.
5. Give Your Body Real Rest
Your body is the vessel through which you serve others. It deserves rest and constant vitality. The General Adaptation Syndrome model explains that without proper rest, prolonged stress leads to fatigue, illness, and burnout. As a healthcare professional who prioritises efficiency, rest is part of work, and not an obstacle to work.
6. Write It Down
Journaling helps you untangle difficult emotions. You can write about what hurt, what gave you hope, or what you still do not understand. This practice allows your brain to process and organise experiences more clearly, especially on overwhelming days. Doing this consistently will make you get familiar with your emotions and seek measures to help you control them.
7. Make Space For Grief
Healthcare professionals often witness fatal cases and loss of lives more than most people. That can be numbing, thereby affecting emotional stability. Permit yourself to grieve. As noted in guidance on compassion fatigue, acknowledging grief is not a weakness. It is an attribute of mental strength.
8. Learn To Say No Without Guilt
Overcommitment often comes from the desire to help. But saying yes to everything can leave you drained and unavailable for the moments and people that truly matter. Healthy boundaries are essential for emotional strengthening, particularly in high-stress work environments that healthcare professionals often encounter.
9. Reconnect With Your Purpose
When exhaustion sets in, remind yourself of why you chose this path. Having a sense of purpose that you regularly review is capable of promoting better emotional regulation during times of emotional stress.
10. Find Gentle Joy In Ordinary Things
Finding happiness in small or seemingly small things matters and can help you appreciate even the larger ones. They remind you that life continues outside the hospital walls.
You do not have to carry the burdens silently, the way Dr. Akadi does.
You are allowed to pause.
You are allowed to rest.
And you are allowed to be cared for.
At Care City Media, one of our primary goals is to provide healthcare professionals with the inspiration to do more, the knowledge to stand out, the intelligence to innovate, and the right information for today’s fast-evolving healthcare ecosystem.
Which of these practices speaks most to your current reality?
Have you found any routines or reminders that help you care for your emotional health?
Join the discussion on Substack!
