Many people suffer stress from their jobs, but there are some careers that can carry more stress than others. Those in the medical profession for example, who work long hours without a set shift pattern and that deal with life or death situations can suffer terrible stress that needs addressing. The following tips offer advice on dealing with stress to provide a happier work life and to help physicians becoming ill themselves.

Take a break

If you’ve been working too hard, as well as working too much overtime, you may find that your work is beginning to suffer as well as your passion and enthusiasm for your job. While taking a short-term break like lunch is important, you should also make sure that you use your vacation days wisely and put a bit of distance between you and your job for a while. Work will still be there when you return.

Take up a calming hobby

Having a life outside of work is important, especially if you work in a fast-paced, high-stress work environment. Many doctors have unusual hobbies that provide them with a good distraction from the workplace that lets them forget (even if temporarily) about their day. Think about hobbies that could help you relieve stress such as running, yoga or even something creative like painting that can get you out of your head for a while and let you refocus your energies. There are many great solutions for hobbies that will help you find your inner happiness that will ease your stress levels and help you cope better with stress at work.

Voice your concerns

If your work-stress comes from something that can be fixed with resourcing or reduced hours, then it may be worth discussing your concerns with a manager who can work with you to make sure your stress is addressed and eased. People often ignore this solution out of fear that it might show that they can’t do their job properly but it’s better to be honest and find a solution with your management than to continue to struggle. They’ll find it is far easier to find a solution that to have to sign you off for weeks or even months with stress and end up short-staffed as a result.

Change your working pattern

Another thing you might want to consider if your work situation continues to make you stressed is to change your working pattern. You might want to swap to out of hours working patterns that come with a different type of patient and work environment or consider registering with a locum tenens physician staffing agency which will allow you to choose your own hours and pattern of working. This is a popular option with older physicians nearing retirement or those who want to balance family and work life.

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Dealing with stress is important as failing to do so could mean that you cost your practice time and money. If you are an employer, you should offer training and well-being sessions to help employees manage stress and make them feel safe in voicing concerns for a better working environment.