Doctors in the UK are forced to endure stress far beyond what the average member of the public experiences.
A 2020 poll reported that nearly a third of doctors in the UK were suffering from burnout and ‘compassion fatigue’ – a secondary reaction to the stress doctors witness in their patients, which accumulates over time. It should be noted that this poll was conducted before the coronavirus pandemic.
To thrive in the role, doctors are advised to consider managing their stress as an ongoing project. After all, the cumulative toll is high, and putting the solution off until another day is a strategy that will ultimately backfire.
What is stress management?
Stress management is an umbrella term that covers a whole range of techniques and psychotherapies, many of which are self-prescribed. They aim to deal with chronic stress rather than acute stress. Their objective is to restore a little bit of calm and clarity, and to make the mind more resilient over the long term.
Why is stress management important for doctors?
Doctors are particularly susceptible to stress for several reasons.
First, they’re working long hours, in what can be a high-pressure environment. Time might seem to pass quickly during especially busy periods, but the physiological and psychological effects of stress will still be noticeable.
Second, the consequences of the decisions you make can be significant to the lives and wellbeing of the patients you’re treating. As such, doctors must shoulder a responsibility that few other professionals could.
Of course, if you’re stressed, your capability as a doctor might be compromised, which could lead to issues with clinical negligence.
This can create further stress, so it is important to break the cycle early on. It can be much harder to break bad habits later down the line.
How can doctors manage stress?
So, what techniques might doctors prescribe to themselves? Many methods will be the same techniques that are recommended by medical professionals to their patients.
Carefully examining your diet and taking the time to exercise can both make a difference. Adequate sleep is also critical, not only for dealing with stress but for health in general.
One relatively novel type of self-care is mindfulness meditation. This can be done in short bursts wherever you happen to be; and there are even apps that will guide you through the practice.
The high-stakes environment that doctors work in means they must do all they can to remain mentally resilient; so taking the appropriate steps at the first sign of stress is extremely important.
