Tips for Healthcare Students to Reduce Stress

The COVID-19 pandemic has put a lot of pressure on the healthcare sector. A lot of healthcare students are overwhelmed and stressed, but there are some easy ways to reduce stress and improve their overall well-being.  Share these with your students (and do not forget yourself)!

Don’t forget to breathe: Deep breathing increases the amount of oxygen supply to your brain that stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps you relax. It is not only beneficial for reducing stress, but it will also help you make better decisions with clear thoughts.

Use the ‘HALT’ acronym: To make sure you are performing at an optimal level, remind yourself often of the HALT acronym, which stands for Hunger Anger/Anxiety, Lonely, Tired. If you feel overwhelmed by one of these feelings, take a break.

Focus on the bright side: Healthcare can be a negative environment to work in, so remind yourself constantly of the positives and successes that were accomplished throughout the day.

Leave work at the door: Do not take the work home with you. To reduce stress, make sure that you can mentally break away from work when you arrive at home. Everyone needs a place to rest their body and mind. Burnout is permanent….

Laughter is the best medicine: Laughter is the simplest and easiest form of joy that we can access. Whether you remind yourself of a joke, a stand-up comedy show you recently watched, or a funny moment you remember, keep things that bring you laughter close at heart.

Have faith: If it is religious, scientific, spiritual, or yourself. We all need something to believe in to keep us moving forward.

Reach out to loved ones: It is not always easy to keep track of how everyone around you is doing, so check up on them occasionally. You never know what someone might be going through and helping others will often bring a feeling of fulfillment to yourself as well.

The storm shall pass: It is easy to feel hopeless and lost but find comfort in the fact that nothing lasts forever. The human race survived previous pandemics with a lot less medical and scientific knowledge and so shall we.