What’s Messing With Your Head?

It’s the stuff that bothers you, the things that play on your mind, the thoughts that swirl in the back of your head distracting you, messing with your concentration levels, preventing you from sleeping or waking you in the middle of the night.   

Nurses, midwives and carers all have the usual stuff that messes with all our heads – money worries, family troubles, work pressures – and these are all more than enough to deal with. But when your work involves you hearing about and dealing with the consequences of other people’s stuff, that’s when your mind can quickly reach overload!   

In the day to day course of your work, nurses and carers are highly likely to hear much more than your patients’ medical problems. Confiding in nurses and carers builds a huge bond of trust between carer and patient, which often leads patients to unburden their hearts with all their worldly woes.   

We know it’s part of the job and you’re supposed to be able to take it on the chin and not let it get to you, but there must be times when it’s impossible not to take the job to heart. Caring for your patients means listening, providing support, responding with kindness… …but who’s looking after you?  

Over the coming weeks watch out for our top tips and suggestions for looking after your mental health, starting with this one: 

BREATHE 

You’ll be amazed what a few deep breaths can do to clear and calm our minds.   

Close your eyes, breathe in deeply, hold for a few seconds, then breathe out slow and steady while bringing your consciousness to your breath. Repeat 3-5 times, as time allows.    

Do this during your breaks or at the end of your shift, to consciously breathe in relaxation and breathe out all that stuff that’s messing with your heads!