Continued from Part 1
Keep Your Work Life Separate from Your Personal Life
Since your work is naturally stressful, its important to keep it separate from your personal life. Avoid checking work emails when you’re at home. You can hang out with your coworkers, but try to find friends that are not involved in your work life. Reserve work tasks for your scheduled shift hours, and create times for the things you love to do. When you find a good balance between your work life and personal life, you can significantly reduce your stress.
Let Go of Matters beyond Your Control
Some elements of your job are beyond your control. Don’t beat yourself up with the ‘what-ifs.’ There is nothing wrong with self-reflection, but don’t let that turn into obsession. If you work with a therapist, he or she can help you bring closure to issues from the past and reverse negative thought patterns in the future.
Take Time to Grieve
Nurses face loss every single day. This is part of the job, but that doesn’t make it any easier on your mental health. Take time to mourn, grieve and reflect during difficult times. If you need to take time off, talk to your employer about that. They will understand. Cry. Let it all out. Know that it is OK to be emotionally vulnerable. That shows just how much you care about your job.
Practice Calming Breathing Techniques
Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, and breathe out for 4 seconds. Repeat this over and over to calm your mind and body. As an alternative, picture yourself holding a hot bowl of your favorite soup. Put your hands close to your face, and close your eyes. Now breathe in until you can smell that bowl of soup. Calmly release your breath and repeat. These exercises are often used to stop panic attacks, but they are effective in depression treatment as well.
Find What Makes You Happy
Reading a book, spending time with loved ones, hiking, swimming, going to the movies – there’s an endless supply of happiness out there. Find the things you love to do, and do them! If you love to travel, plan a trip every 3-6 months. If you love to read, go to the library once a week. If you love to sleep, make no plans for at least one day off. Sleep as much as you want, and enjoy having nothing to do for the day.
You deserve to be happy. Fill your life with joyful experiences, and the stress will be much easier to manage.
Talk to a Depression Therapist
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Working with a therapist will help you overcome depression and manage stress from work. Depression counseling is a personalized process, where you receive advice specific to your needs and your lifestyle. Because of your job, you may not respond to depression treatment techniques that work for other people. Your therapist will find solutions that match your personality, your career, and the type of depression you’re experiencing.
If you would like to work with a depression therapist near you, call (888) 726-7170 to reach Urban Balance. We have therapist offices in Illinois, Missouri, and Colorado, all with depression specialists on hand. We will match you with the best therapist for your needs so you can overcome depression with confidence.