The Critical Need To Take Care Of Your Emotional Wellness As A Registered Nurse
Pegasus skilled caregivers in Reseda and elsewhere give their all to their senior clientele. Sometimes they overlook the critical need to take care of their personal emotional wellness. Our career home health care registered nurses know that self-care is essential.
Sometimes home health care professionals are all that an elderly individual has. That’s particularly true during times of pandemics or emergency circumstances. As their nurse, you’re always there to offer support and encouragement.
That’s true, even when you’re tired, stressed, or issues in your personal life demand your attention. Nurses put their patients first. That’s admirable, but it’s necessary to put yourself first at least part of the time to achieve emotional wellness.
What Is Emotional Wellness?
Emotional wellness “refers to an awareness, understanding, and acceptance of your emotions.” Additionally, it includes “your ability to manage effectively through challenges and change.” Emotional wellness doesn’t mean that you feel happy all the time—forget about Hakuna Matata.
It does mean that you are aware of what’s going on in your life. Awareness helps you choose positive reactions. You’re able to shift from a “glass-half-empty” mindset to a “glass-half-full” coping strategy.
Emotionally healthy individuals tend to be:
- Flexible
- Grateful
- Happy with who they are
- Know the purpose of their lives
- Open-minded
- Sensitive to the needs of others
- Spiritually generous
They know how to manage their stress and maintain a good balance between work and personal life.
Stress Management Is Part Emotional Wellness
Everyone’s life includes stress. One of the keys to emotional wellness and preventing burnout is learning how to manage stress. The usual tips include getting enough sleep, exercising, and consuming a healthy diet.
Other tips include, among others:
- Avoiding judging
- Breathing
- Focusing on the positive
- Keeping things in perspective
- Knowing yourself
- Letting things go
Knowing the source of your stress helps you discover the best way to reduce it. You may not be able to do much about external sources of stress. You may be able to relieve stress from internal sources, such as having negative feelings.
Emotional wellness can be impaired when you feel overwhelmed by the demands on your time. Families and friends have expectations you try to meet. Managing your household requires your attention.
The traditional stress relief techniques aren’t always adequate during anxiety-filled times. To maintain your emotional wellness, you may need additional techniques. One tip from experts is learning to set boundaries.
A crucial part of establishing appropriate boundaries is saying no to requests that aren’t right for you. As a nurse, you’re dedicated to helping others, and saying no isn’t easy. But it’s essential for your emotional health that you draw lines between what’s good for you and what isn’t.
When you’re overstressed, you may experience any of a long list of psychological or physical symptoms. These include, but are not limited to:
- Difficulty sleeping
- Eating disorders or use of drugs, alcohol, or smoking for relief
- Headaches
- Impaired judgment
- Increased risk of disease or illness
- Poor interactions with others
If you don’t practice self-care that helps relieve stress, you become a candidate for burnout.
Nurse burnout is characterized by feeling:
- Cynical
- Depressed
- Detached from others
- Hopeless
You may become so emotionally exhausted that the care you provide is compromised.
Self-Care Is Part Of Emotional Wellness
Contrary to what many think, making self-care a priority isn’t selfish. Self-care includes many of the above stress-reduction practices. Self-care and managing stress both also incorporate:
- Developing personal interests unrelated to nursing
- Mental stimulation
- Obtaining medical care
- Organizing professional life
- Spirituality
- Social activities
You may find a self-care worksheet helpful in achieving emotional wellness.
Studies that focus on stress for nurses reveal that their workplaces affect their level of emotional wellness. Factors cited include:
- Ambiguity/conflict regarding their roles
- Feeling powerless
- Lack of opportunities for career development and promotion
- Long shifts
- Not valued for what they do
- Patient overload
The research primarily encompassed nurses in clinical environments.
Home Health Care Registered Nurses Enjoy Flexibility And Autonomy
While a career as a home health care nurse certainly isn’t stress-free, many of the factors cited above don’t apply. Working conditions are much different for Pegasus in-home care nurses.
They set their own schedules, seeing as many or as few patients as they wish. They work on the days they choose for as many hours as they want. They are able to reserve time for family and social activities that contribute to their emotional wellness.
Pegasus nurses determine their patient’s treatment plan. Patients and our staff value their services. Our professionals also receive the support and training they need to advance their careers.
Pegasus is a licensed Home Care Organization and a Joint Commission Accredited Home Health Care organization. We have consistently provided quality care to our clients since 1994. Our reputation is based on adhering to the highest ethical and clinical standards.
Pegasus in-home caregivers in Reseda and our other locations tailor their services to fit the needs of each client. Part of providing the best care possible to others includes caring for themselves. Our career home healthcare registered nurses recognize the critical need to maintain their emotional wellness.
