10 Tips for Nurses to Maintain Worklife Balance

Achieving a positive worklife balance reduces stress and increases job satisfaction for nurses. While it requires intentional effort, nurses who holistically care for their own health are better prepared to care for others. In the midst of today’s climate and uncertainty, acts of self-care are all the more essential to help nurses battle the stress of COVID-19 during work shifts.

This article will provide an overall discussion of why worklife balance is necessary in general and offer guidance on how nurses can find ways to cope with our dynamic healthcare environment.

Click to view our worklife balance infographic.

 

Why Is Worklife Balance So Important?

Difficulty managing stress can cause fatigue and anxiety in addition to other negative health effects. Moreover, studies show that stress among nurses can cause depression, isolation, and a decrease in qualification. Difficulty managing stress can lead to burnout and job dissatisfaction which is costly to the healthcare system.

Many nursing staff have reported that aside from the work environment, staffing problems can also influence their burnout. This leads to the feeling of depletion of one’s physical and emotional resources and can result in worklife imbalance.

Researchers report that stress is persistently a significant issue for nurses. Studies show that high stress levels contribute to:

• Staff illness
• Absenteeism
• Turnover

Lowered stress levels, on the other hand, promote job satisfaction and retention of nurses which leads to positive outcomes including better quality of care and patient safety (source).

 

What Causes Worklife Imbalance for Nurses?

While everyone agrees that worklife balance is optimal in job performance, it is often difficult for nurses to achieve.

Nursing is a career with high job demands. The health and well-being of patients is at stake, and nurses provide healing care that requires great attention and expertise. The daily requirements can take a physical and emotional toll on nurses.

Also, nurses sometimes work erratic schedules. Patients need care around the clock, which requires night shifts or other non-traditional work hours. Many nurses work long shifts or overtime hours.

Perhaps more than any other reason, it is nurses’ altruistic nature that makes worklife balance difficult. Nurses often find it hard to say “no” when someone needs their help. This leads to a continual pouring out of heartfelt energy.

Even in high-stress scenarios, though, fostering a healthy way of life is possible. Here are 10 tips for these unsung heroes in health care to achieve worklife balance.

 

TIP #1: Accept What You Can’t Change—and Change What You Can

In any job, there will be things you wish you could change. Sometimes you’ll be able to, but often you won’t.

The first thing for nurses to do is to come to terms with stress. Acceptance is a good way to fight off stress. Acknowledge that there are certain things that you cannot change, and then develop your own coping strategies to address your feelings.

Nurses are often empathetic by nature, and you may carry burdens heavily. At some points in the day, you may need to step away, breathe deeply, and reorient your perspective.

Aside from accepting things that are beyond your control, embrace the things within your control–your feelings and attitude in particular. While you want to be perfect in delivering health care services to your patient, mistakes can happen. It is best to pick yourself up, admit your mistakes, and move on.

You can also be an agent of change, as nurses are increasingly recognized as leaders in the workplace. It’s okay to speak up when structures and processes create extra stress for nursing staff. Be proactive in promoting a culture of worklife balance, such as support groups, healthy frameworks, and resources for help.

 

TIP #2: Define Your Purpose in Life

It is easy for other people to define your purpose—to help people get better. How do you define your purpose as a whole being?

Nursing is often viewed as a calling—a driving purpose in your career. Nurses brighten and extend life by helping patients heal in mind, body, and spirit.

Embracing this calling can be overwhelming at times, when it overflows to other parts of your life. After all, you are not only a nurse. You may also be a spouse, a parent, a child, or a friend.

Defining your greater purpose in life will also help you define your career in nursing. By prioritizing what’s most important to you, you’ll be able to choose a nursing path that fits within those goals. Nursing jobs vary in schedule, environment, and intensity, so considering your whole life context will help you make the best choices.

For example, a mother with young children may need to be more available at home. Creating appropriate worklife balance may mean a particular choice in the work setting. In this case, an outpatient clinic allows a more family-friendly schedule than working night shifts in an emergency room.

Or perhaps you have a passion for underserved communities, and you also have the freedom to travel. That could lead to jobs in travel nursing, urban health care, or even international aid. Such roles could fulfill a worklife balance by allowing you to pursue personal dreams through your nursing career.

Ask yourself “Who do I want to be?” or “What contributions do I want to make in my lifetime?” Considering these questions will make you understand what you need to do to achieve your inner goals.

Read everything you need to know about nurses being blessed to heal here.

 

TIP #3: Guard Your Emotional Health

To be effective in helping patients stay healthy, nurses must be in a good place physically and emotionally. A good worklife balance can be achieved if you are strong yourself.

As a nurse, you understand caring for the whole person, but do you look out for your own holistic health? If not, then this is an area in your life that you need to improve. You will have more energy not only in taking care of your patients but also in taking care of your family.

Establishing healthy boundaries will be important in keeping yourself grounded and emotionally healthy. When it’s time to leave work, make an intentional decision to disconnect from the stress you’ve carried during the workday. While it’s tempting to replay stressful situations in your mind, turn your attention to other aspects of your life instead.

When you need to process difficult situations in the workplace, find a healthy way to do that. Maybe journaling will allow you to unload and let go. If you need more help, talk with a trusted friend or a counselor, or seek support groups.

 

TIP #4: Simplify Your Life

Simplifying your life can be challenging. This is especially true for a nurse who deals with many patients or complicated situations outside of work. For example, a nurse may also be caring for aging parents at home or juggling the responsibilities of motherhood on top of work.

In the workplace, find ways to implement processes that make your job easier. Thanks to technology, you can use apps that can help you monitor and respond to your patients. There are also apps to help you manage your time at work and your personal life.

Teamwork in nursing can also help as nurses collaborate to simplify systems and share the workload. By evaluating the specific needs of certain patients, for example, nurses may reallocate tasks and include other health care professionals. Nursing teams may also be able to share information more easily by implementing new records management technology.

Outside the workplace, simplicity can ease pressure and help you clear the clutter from your mind. Maybe it’s time to cut back on extra activities or responsibilities that leave you feeling scattered. Delegating or streamlining tasks frees up your time and also creates worklife calmness.

 

TIP #5: Manage Your Worklife Time

Many nurses find it difficult to practice effective time management because they have so many conflicting demands. When juggling worklife expectations, what are some practical steps?

Have a Family Meeting

First, sit down with your family members and discuss relationship and homelife expectations. Look for areas where you all need to more effectively use your time. Make a plan together, and support each other in sticking to it.

Carefully Consider Your Plan

Also, consider what you may be leaving out of your plan. Are you allowing enough time for your own healthy habits like exercise, hobbies, and sleep? Are you leaving room for unplanned circumstances and opportunities?

Set Limits at Work

At work, some situations can be particularly time-intensive because of expectations from the patient or family. Set limits with patients while still showing empathy. Remember that all of your patients need you, and you’ll have to share your time accordingly. Maybe this means cutting a conversation short, while still showing an interest in how a patient is doing.

Prioritize Your Time

There’s also a tendency in nursing to work in the urgency of the moment, responding to one need after another. It may help to take a timeout to evaluate efficiencies in record-keeping, scheduling tasks, or allocating assignments. Improving systems may take some time initially but can save worklife time in the big picture.

 

TIP #6: Deal with Conflicts Immediately

Strains in a relationship–both at work and in your personal life—can drain your time and emotions. Make sure you engage in necessary conversations to resolve conflicts in any worklife relationships.

Conflict avoidance will make a problem even worse, and you will have to deal with it eventually. Extending conflict will take up a lot of precious time, so it’s best to deal with it head-on before it gets worse.

Sometimes conflict resolution is as simple as acknowledging the problem and peacefully talking through it. There may be times when you need to take the initiative to apologize or graciously accept an apology. Many conflicts result from misunderstandings, and clearing the air can help everyone gain perspective.

In some cases, you’ll need extra help to resolve a conflict. An unbiased third party may be able to see beyond both sides of the conflict and facilitate mutual understanding.

Sometimes you may do all that you can do to resolve a conflict, but the other party is unwilling. If so, you may have to simply walk away and let it go. Holding on to resentment or hostility will only make the situation harder for you.

 

TIP #7: Develop Stronger Worklife Relationships

Busy people often struggle with finding the time it takes to establish and nurture relationships. Yet social connections are one of the most important investments you can make in creating worklife balance.

A proliferation of research supports the idea that healthy relationships promote wellness. A report by Harvard Health Publishing says relationships are as consequential as sleep, nutrition, and the choice not to smoke. The quality of the relationship is key, as well as the range of connections to form a support network.

Set regular times to get together with your family and friends and do things that you enjoy. It’s not so important that the time is filled with activity, but that you have the chance to connect.

Maybe set your “rest day” as a time for family bonding. If you are too tired to go out, you can still designate a time when you regularly eat meals together. This will allow you to develop a stronger relationship with family members.

Small groups such as clubs, community groups, or Bible studies are another way to stay connected with structured support. Regularly scheduled meeting times keep you accountable for getting together. Since groups are also built around a common interest, they are another way of connecting to others with a greater purpose.

 

TIP #8: Take In-Between Restorative Breaks

Just because you are busy taking care of others does not mean that you are not a priority, too. The demands of nursing will wear you down, but self-care helps you recharge, avoid burn-out, and empowers you to better care for others.

Time Outs

To maintain a nursing worklife balance, create your own downtime at work by taking in-between restorative breaks throughout the day. For instance, before you rush to your next patient, inhale and exhale deeply for a few times in the hallway.

Structured Breaks

Don’t skip formal break times, and go outdoors when you can. Slip away for some solitude, or use the time to connect with a friend or colleague without talking about work.

During workday breaks, refuel with a healthy snack or meal. If you have time, practice mindfulness like meditation during lunch or when running an errand.

Time Off

When you’re off work, allow yourself time for recreation and hobbies. If you don’t have a regular hobby, maybe it’s time for one. Are there activities you’ve enjoyed in the past—like sports, art, or music—that might enhance your worklife balance?

In her book Rhythms of Renewal, Rebekah Lyons encourages readers to take regular, simple steps to restoration. This may call for taking a walk to relieve brain fog. Or it may mean allowing yourself time to play—the lost-in-the-moment, forget-your-worries kind of play—that rejuvenates you.

 

TIP #9: Make Exercise Part of Your Worklife

Nurses may be susceptible to anxiety and depression because of the emotional weight of their jobs. Physical fitness is one of the most powerful ways to fight these risks and foster positive mental health.

A report from the Mayo Clinic identifies specific ways that exercise relieves anxiety and depression:

• Positive coping: Rather than turning to harmful habits like drinking or smoking, exercise is a healthy outlet for taking care of stress.
• Brain chemistry: Exercising causes your brain to release pleasure-inducing endorphins that make you immediately feel better.
• Thought patterns: By diverting your mind from negative thoughts, exercise fights against unhealthy mental cycles.

Another benefit is that exercise directly affects disease prevention, mobility, and energy levels. When you feel better physically, you’re more likely to be better emotionally.

The CDC recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week for adults. This can be broken into small chunks throughout the week or even during the day.

If exercise is new for you, look for ways to incorporate activity into your day. Go for a 10-minute walk during your break, or take the stairs instead of the elevator.

As you move toward more intentional exercise, try something you enjoy, so you’ll be motivated to keep up. Walking with a friend gives you social interaction. Joining a fitness class or recreational sports league offers structure and accountability.

 

TIP #10: Get Enough Rest

As a nurse, you’ll get tired, and a tight schedule or persistent stress could mean sacrificing sleep. Hospital nurses walk up to 5 miles during a 12-hour shift. Rest is critical to energize and revitalize your body.

The “sleep-stress snowball” means that stress keeps you awake, and then the lack of sleep creates more stress.

Prevention magazine has identified a series of simple ways to promote restful sleep. Here are just a few of the steps:

• Wake up at a regular time each day.
• Catch morning sunlight.
• Avoid afternoon caffeine.
• Establish a relaxing bedtime routine.
• Unplug from electronic devices early.

If you had a stressful day at work, put your mind at ease by focusing on the positive. Instead of mulling over an argument with a colleague, remember the baby that you helped deliver. Reflecting on happy moments from your day can help you celebrate your victories and promote a good night’s sleep.

 

BONUS TIP: Find More Worklife Balance in Advanced Nursing Roles

By advancing to leadership in nursing, you’ll find more freedom, and you’ll be empowered to affect change in the workplace. Pursuing a nursing specialty through a graduate-level nursing degree could be your pathway to leadership.

Nurse leaders advocate for change in the profession and help to implement processes to improve both job quality and patient care. By earning a master’s or doctoral degree, you can be the change for worklife balance in the nursing profession.

 

Which Online Degree Program is Right for You?

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

MSN-prepared nurses define their own career paths as leaders providing care and training at advanced levels. Program tracks include Family Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Educator, and Psychiatric Mental Health.

For practicing nurses, becoming an FNP means more autonomy and less demanding hours. Other nursing roles such as nurse educator or nurse practitioner in a specialized field allow for a focused career. These aspects can lead to improved worklife balance in time management, simplifying life, and clarifying your purpose.

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

DNPs are shaping the future of health care through quality improvement and advocacy on a systems level. Program tracks include BSN to DNP – Family Nurse Practitioner, BSN to DNP – Nurse Educator and post-master’s DNP (MSN to DNP). A DNP can be completed in as little as two more semesters than earning an MSN.

Practicing as a DNP-FNP equips a nurse for providing family care at the highest professional level of nursing. This allows for an optimal level of independence in nursing, fostering worklife balance.

For a nurse educator, a DNP degree means the superlative level of educational credibility. This translates to greater career opportunity, resulting in more job choices so that you define worklife balance.

 

How Can You Keep Worklife Balance While Working and Going to School?

Designed for working nurses, Walsh’s online MSN and DNP programs allow for your already-busy schedule. Flexibility along with quality means you earn the credential you need without sacrificing your worklife balance.

Here are just a few of the program features:

• Take just one or two courses at a time.
• Complete coursework at your convenience by logging in any time from anywhere.
• Benefit from stress-free clinical placement services that connect you with preceptors and clinical sites for all clinical rotations.
• Develop a reasonable payment plan through financial aid options.

Click to view our worklife balance infographic.

 

Ready to Pursue Your Leadership Pathway to Worklife Balance?

Walsh University is preparing nurses to meet increasing needs in health care while also fostering a positive worklife harmony. We understand the challenges of modern nursing and believe students should have the support they need to advance their careers.

 

Learn more about Walsh’s online graduate nursing degree programs now!

 

Read more of Walsh University's top nursing blogs below:

1. Nursing Roles Explained: Today’s Top 3 Professions

2. How Nursing Has Changed With Technology

3. Can Family Nurse Practitioners Specialize?

4. Where Can Family Nurse Practitioners Work?

5. Which Type of Nurse Is Most Prone to Burnout?

 

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