Five Ways Healthcare Workers Can Maintain a Healthy Work-Life Balance

For many, working in healthcare is a fulfilling career path, and while the industry has justly earned a reputation for long hours and demanding schedules, a healthy work-life balance is possible. Between emergencies, co-workers’ absences and the growing demand not met by the existing workforce, healthcare workers need to set boundaries and ensure that home life does not suffer. Some tips for maintaining this work-life balance in the healthcare field follow.

Make time for health.

While taking care of other people, often both at work and home, some studies point out that hospital workers are generally less healthy than workers in other industries. This may seem strange at first, but when taking into account the long hours and busy pace at work, combined with the stress of balancing home life, it becomes easy to understand how self-care goes by the wayside. Setting aside time for exercise, routine care visits is essential. Maintaining a meditation or spiritual practice should also take a priority role in daily life to help with a balanced life.

Take a break.

Advancing technology has made some significant changes in the workforce, many of them good but one with negative consequences on work-life balance. This is the phenomenon that people are always connected, so many health professions never really stop working. E-mails, social media and electronic work files can be accessed from almost anywhere, so as long as not on-call, shut off the phone, computer or tablet for at least a few hours a day. Let home life be quality time away from work. Healthcare workers are particularly prone to overworking themselves, but taking time away leads to a higher level of productivity in the long run.