By Steve Seals
The importance of healthcare professionals has perhaps been greater than ever in the last few years. As a healthcare professional, your value to society makes your own physical and mental health critical to maintain. But it can be difficult to find symmetry between your career and your private life, especially in areas where medical resources are strapped.
Finding that balance for healthcare professionals is essential for several reasons aside from general well-being. For example, a clear-minded, revitalized medical professional may be likelier to make the right decisions and offer higher-quality patient care. This can improve your overall job satisfaction and make it easier to lead a happier, more fulfilling home life.
Take a closer look at what steps healthcare professionals can take to attain a better work-life balance.
3 Key Areas of Work-Life Balance for Healthcare Professionals
Finding the right work-life balance for healthcare professionals requires concentration on three general areas:
1. Finding Time to Decompress
Hospitals and medical clinics can be some of the most stressful places to work. Life-and-death decisions and actions are made every day. The nonstop nature of a typical workday can be brutal on healthcare professionals’ nervous systems.
For that reason, you want to allocate some time every day to unplug and unwind. It helps to level off burnout, regain focus, and build up the resilience you need to complete your jobs.
2. Focusing on Self-Care
It’s easy for healthcare professionals to get so caught up in the health of their patients that they overlook their own needs. However, when you suffer from conditions of your own, you may have trouble providing quality care to those you serve.
Healthcare professionals need to maintain a healthy diet and exercise regimen, get enough sleep, and focus on staying mentally and spiritually healthy. This approach can help you offer better patient care and foster positive relationships with your co-workers and colleagues.
3. Getting Support
Those who provide healthcare and medical support to others should be aware that they have resources for self-care at their disposal as well. Employee assistance programs, wellness modules, professional associations, online communities, and counselors all help healthcare professionals in several ways.
Steps to Take for Better Work-Life Balance
To help instill or restore a healthy work-life balance as a healthcare professional, try taking these essential steps.
Set Priorities
Decide which work functions are most crucial for you to complete. Give personal responsibilities and functions equal weight.
Make a Workable Schedule
After prioritizing your tasks, make a realistic daily schedule that incorporates breaks and downtime. Those whose jobs involve a lot of routine tasks may find this easier, but it’s possible for more complicated role players to do this as well.
Set Boundaries
Healthcare professionals need to define their limits and expectations with those they work with. This may mean saying “no” every once in a while when your workload is overwhelming.
Delegate Responsibilities
Get to know your colleagues and collaborators well enough to give them some of the tasks that weigh you down most. By delegating responsibilities, you can reinforce the health of your team as a whole—not just yours alone.
Get Exercise and Sleep
A healthcare work environment can involve keeping a hectic pace. Make time in your schedule to get at least a few minutes of high-impact exercise every day, and give yourself ample time to rest and refresh.
Give Your Time Value
Self-care matters. Spending time with family and loved ones and pursuing interests outside of work is crucial. If you want a long, profitable career in healthcare, you need to give your private life just as much relevance as your career.
Get Help in Restoring Your Work-Life Balance
Seals Financial Planning & Investments in Lexington, KY, gives healthcare professionals the support they need to thrive. With two decades of experience, our team takes pride in getting to know each client personally and consistently going the extra mile. We believe in the power of a positive mindset and creating partnerships with a purpose.
Our goal is to set tangible goals and put strategies in place to help you reach your ideal financial future as easily and quickly as possible—the sooner you start preparing, the better. Do we sound like the financial partner you need in your corner? We invite you to give us a call at (859) 230-3476 to schedule a time to meet.
About Richard Stephen (Steve) Seals
Steve Seals is owner and independent Registered Investment Advisor Representative at Seals Financial Planning & Investments VI, LLC, a financial planning services firm based in Lexington, KY. As an independent Registered Investment Advisor Representative with about two decades of experience in the investment and insurance industries, Steve’s firm is founded on getting to know each client personally, allowing him to provide sound financial advice throughout their career and into retirement. With the mission of guiding clients on the path of success, Steve is fueled by his commitment to excellence and goes the extra mile to make sure clients are fully satisfied. He believes in maintaining a positive mindset, creating partnerships with a purpose, and always striving for significant outcomes.
Born in Jenkins, Kentucky, Steve grew up with a love for basketball and serving his community. After high school, he served nine years in the United States Marine Corps, then earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He was eventually able to put his degree and desire to help others to work as a fiduciary financial planner. Prior to founding his own firm in 2014, Steve learned from working with Edward Jones, US Bank, University of Kentucky Federal Credit Union, and CUSO Financial. He also received his Security Series 63 and 65/66 through Keystone Financial Group, LLC, and holds various life, health, and variable insurance licenses.Steve and his wife, Angie, have three daughters (Lauren, Peyton, and Ashton) and two grandsons (Kenyon and Kai). Steve holds a private pilot’s license, and the family enjoys sports, spending time at the lake, and traveling. To learn more about Steve, connect with him on LinkedIn.
