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Mental health is a critical, but often overlooked aspect of nursing. Oftentimes, in the midst of managing our patients’ needs, working long hours, and dealing with the emotional toll of being a healthcare worker, our mental health ends up on the back burner. Many nurses face mental health challenges that are often overlooked or stigmatized. How can we navigate this? 

What Causes Mental Health Problems in Nurses?

As nurses, our mental health can be influenced by a number of interconnected factors:

1. High-Stress Work Environments: It’s no secret that the healthcare setting is intense. Nurses are required to make quick, critical decisions, often in life-or-death situations. Not to mention, one wrong move can cause our hard-earned licenses to be revoked, and/or legal action. This constant pressure can lead to anxiety, stress, and eventually burnout. 
2. Emotional Impact of Patient Care: Compassion fatigue is no joke. Nurses build relationships with patients and their families, guiding them through their emotional journey. This investment in the well-being of our patients, especially in cases of chronic illness or death can be emotionally draining. 
3. Long and Irregular Working Hours: The demanding nature of healthcare often requires nurses to work long, irregular hours, sometimes with little rest in between shifts. This constant disruption in sleep patterns can lead to chronic fatigue and affect mental health. 
4. Workplace Dynamics: Dealing with workplace politics and sometimes facing a lack of support or recognition is another factor that can lead to mental stress in nurses.
5. Personal Life and Work Balance: Maintaining this balance is challenging. Nurses often find it hard to disconnect from their professional responsibilities, which can affect their personal relationships and leisure time. 
6. Global Crises and Public Health Emergencies: The Covid-19 pandemic placed extreme amounts of stress on nurses. Dealing with the high influx of patients, concerns about personal safety, and witnessing widespread suffering can have profound impacts on mental health. 

When looking at these factors, it’s easy to see why mental health care is not just a luxury, but a necessity for nurses.

How Can We Improve Our Mental Health As Nurses?

1. Stress Management Techniques: Mindfulness, positive affirmations and self-talk, meditation, and yoga can help to stay grounded and manage stress levels. Even simple practices like deep breathing exercises during a busy shift can provide some immediate relief. 
2. Having or Creating a Support System: Do you have a friend, family member, or coworker that you can talk to? Sometimes having someone who can listen to you vent and provide emotional support makes all the difference.
3. Seek A Professional: There’s no shame in talking to a professional counselor or therapist. This is especially a great option for those who don’t want to feel like a burden to their friends and family. 
4. Maintain A Healthy Lifestyle: I’m sure you’ve heard this a million times, but your physical and mental health go hand in hand. Are you getting enough vitamins and nutrients from your diet? If not, are you able to take any supplements? Are you getting regular exercise and adequate sleep? As a nurse it’s important to maintain this balance so that work doesn’t overtake your entire life. 
5. Mindfulness and Reflection: Feeling anxious? Journaling is a great way to decompress and clear your thoughts. Additionally, music and guided imagery are both positive ways to bring yourself back into the present after a particularly draining day. 
6. Setting Realistic Goals and Boundaries: It’s important to recognize and set personal limits and to not let people cross them. Learning to say no, and creating healthy boundaries can prevent over-commitment and burnout. The most important part of this is putting your foot down so that people will realize that they cannot cross your boundaries. 
7. Focus on Your Hobbies and Interests Outside Work: Who are you outside of nursing? If you are able to, leave work at work and focus on cultivating your hobbies. For me personally, this means trying a new coffee shop or bakery once per week. Focusing on your personal interests will help to alleviate some of that notorious pre-shift anxiety. 
8. Time Management: Prioritizing tasks, taking regular breaks, and having time for rest is essential. Working in a unit that doesn’t have the resources for you to take a meal break or delegate tasks when busy, is also a huge source of mental strain. 

How Do I Open Up About My Mental Health Struggles?

Mental health issues are often stigmatized, making it hard to come forward. This is especially true among healthcare workers since the industry praises strength and resilience. However, in order to heal and work through your struggles, opening up is an important step. How can we do this?

• Recognize And Accept Your Feelings: Before you begin your journey to mental health recovery, you have to acknowledge your feelings and understand that it’s okay to not be okay. Recognizing the signs of mental fatigue, stress, and burnout is essential for you to take proactive steps towards wellness. 
• Find The Right Time And Space: Choosing a comfortable and private setting to talk about mental health is important. This might be with a trusted coworker during a break, with a supervisor in a scheduled meeting, or with a mental health professional in a therapy session.
• Prepare For The Conversation: Talking about mental health can be scary! It can be helpful to think about what to say beforehand. Writing down your thoughts or concerns can also provide clarity and make the conversation more manageable. 
• Use ‘I’ Statements: Communicating using statements such as “I feel overwhelmed” or “I have been struggling with stress,” can help in expressing feelings without placing blame or causing defensiveness in others. 
• Seek Support From Peers: Sometimes starting with a close friend can be less intimidating. Colleagues may have had similar experiences and can offer empathy and support. 
• Approach Supervisors or Management: When talking to your superiors, it’s important to be honest about how your mental health is impacting work. A good manager will attempt to help by discussing possible solutions like adjusting workloads, scheduling changes, and/or offering resources for professional help.
• Use Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs): Many hospitals and health organizations offer EAPs that can provide confidential counseling and mental health services free of charge.
• Understand Your Rights: As a nurse, it’s important for you to be aware of your rights regarding mental health support in the workplace. This includes knowing the policies around sick leave, mental health days, and accommodations. 

Although it can be scary at first, talking about your mental health is a liberating experience that can take a huge weight off of your shoulders. Remember, you’re not alone. 

Make Your Mental Health A Priority

As a nurse, making your mental health a priority involves more than just managing stress. It’s also about creating an environment that nourishes your mental and emotional well-being. This can start with embracing mindfulness practices not typically associated with nursing, such as artistic or creative outlets. Engaging in creative activities like painting, writing, or music can provide a therapeutic escape and a way to express emotions nonverbally.

Another part of mental health that is often overlooked is the power of laughter and humor. Integrating humor into your life, such as watching a comedy show on your day/night off or light-hearted conversations with your colleagues, can greatly reduce stress. Also consider exploring the less mainstream relaxation techniques like aromatherapy, which can be easily integrated into your daily routine. 

Learning new skills unrelated to nursing can also be an enriching way to decompress. Teaching yourself a new language, a sport, or a craft, can provide a sense of achievement and a mental shift from the rigors of nursing. It’s also important to acknowledge the power of saying ‘yes’ to new experiences that bring joy and ‘no’ to situations that drain emotional energy. 

Mindful commuting can be another opportunity for mental health care. Using the commute time to listen to a podcast, soothing music, audio books, or engaging in calming breathing exercises can help in transitioning to and from the demands of work. Additionally, having a sense of community outside of work (ex. Dance classes, group fitness classes, book clubs, etc.) can provide support and a sense of belonging, which are important for mental health. 

Overall, a holistic approach to your mental health can go a long way outside of the workplace. What are some of your tips for improving mental health as a nurse? Leave a comment below!