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COVID-19 has created an environment where burnout isn’t an outlier that happens to only a handful of nurses. Now, most nurses experience burnout as a result of the pandemic, and striving for work-life balance as a nurse can seem impossible.

Nurses can go a whole shift without being able to use the restroom or take a lunch break or a break period. On top of that, they often get volunteered to perform doubles or just plain forced to.

Some might argue that burnout is inevitable during a pandemic and there’s no way to accomplish an appropriate work-life balance. Though it may seem difficult and outright impossible, we believe that there’s a way to find balance through any scenario. 

COVID-19 has caused a lot of pain for our country and especially nurses on the front lines. One thing to not lose sight of is this simple truth: pain is inevitable; suffering is optional. Choosing how you respond to the heightened stresses of nursing during a pandemic can help you become a better nurse and more peaceful person in general. 

Below are some ways to find a good work-life balance during COVID-19. 

Practice Radical Acceptance

Give yourself some grace. Breathe. There’s only so much you can accomplish in a given day. Accepting that is a primary means of developing a healthy presence at work. As a nurse, your empathy is certainly a superpower, but every strength often has its drawbacks. 

Too much empathy and not enough practical boundaries or an inability to let go can cause tension and anxiety for a nurse. 

For example, you may have patients who come to your hospital sick with the virus and go back out only to engage in high-risk situations for contracting it again. This is beyond your control. You can’t worry endlessly about that as it will inevitably cause more stress. 

Beyond what you can’t control, it’s imperative that you key in on things within your control–specifically how you respond. Learning and implementing radical acceptance will go a long way in determining how much your stress amplifies or subsides over time. 

Engage in Healthy Eating Habits

Nurses spend a lot of time telling patients about the benefits of eating healthy, yet, some go without eating an entire shift or eating junk food throughout. When you’re working a busy shift, you may not have time for anything more than the vending machine and they don’t have apples popping out of them. 

Though it may seem difficult to get a good meal in, it is crucial to your success on the job. Skipping meals can make your blood sugar drop. When your blood sugar drops, it can significantly impact your concentration and can cause irritability. 

Eating the right kind of snacks and meals can work wonders for your mood and overall performance during the shift. 

Invest in Healthy Relationships

For a lot of nurses, dealing with people once they go back home is the last thing they want to do. Most would prefer to engage the flickering pixels of a television set or bathe in the glow of a cell phone scrolling through social media. 

Yet, engaging in healthy relationships is crucial to having a healthy work life balance. 

It’s important to have interactions with people who you aren’t caring for. Seeking out social clubs, support groups or joining a recreational league can help you disengage from the work dynamic and relieve some stress. 

Try and schedule a day of the week where you don’t do anything but connect with family members and friends. 

Take Breaks from Work

Nurses invest a lot of time and effort helping others–especially during a pandemic, so why not take some time for yourself. You deserve it. Taking time off gives you time to heal, focus and come back refreshed to take care of patients in the future. 

You can take anywhere from a quick catch-your-breath before a new patient or you can take more structured breaks where you can go outside and get a bit of fresh air. 

Last, when you request time off, make sure that you commit yourself to that time off. Try and participate in activities that completely remove you from the world of nursing. Or, better yet, try and learn a new skill or develop a hobby. 

Don’t be afraid to say you need time off. This is an investment into your well-being and that directly impacts patients. 

Make Time for Exercise

You may be thinking, I’ve heard this over and over. You probably have, though it’s important to repeat: exercise fundamentally improves your mental health along with your physical health to help you as a nurse. 

According to heart.org, exercise can provide the following positive effects:

• Release stress and calm you  
• Improve your mood and help you think clearly 
• Give you more energy and stamina 
• Lower your blood pressure  
• Improve your quality of sleep 
• Help you feel better about how you look

Need I say more? Working out fundamentally alters your mood, energy levels and overall health. 

You don’t have to start running marathons or treadmill all throughout the night. Start slow if you are new to exercising. Try taking a walk around the building during your break. It just starts with that first step. 

Balancing work and life during COVID-19 is challenging. However, we hope that these strategies can help you learn to invest in yourself and develop healthy boundaries with your job and your life. 

Nursing is an incredibly rewarding job. It also is one of the most stressful. Burnout from nurse stress is unfortunately a common occurrence. Nearly half of professional nurses indicated in a recent study that stress has caused them to re-evaluate a career choice they previously loved.

Common causes of nurse stress

So, what causes nurses to run screaming from a profession they worked so hard to enter? Some of the most common sources of nurse stress include:

• Staffing shortages that result in working overtime and even double shifts. These same shortages can force nurses to take on more patients, making it difficult to administer adequate and proper care.
• Time constraints make it difficult to complete all the paperwork and other requirements of their job outside of direct patient care.
• Conflict with management or coworkers is another major stressor for nursing professionals. It can be frustrating trying to work in an environment where leaders and coworkers contribute to patterns of poor performance.
• Lack of control over their work environment can trigger feelings of anxiety and aggravation.

Sometimes patients themselves are the main source of stress for nurses. Talk to any nurse in the profession. From newbies to seasoned veterans, all have had at least one patient who has taxed them to the very limits of their patience.

[MORE: Free access to self-care resources for nurses]

Symptoms of stress in nurses

Stress does incredible things to the human body. It can bring on bouts of constant fatigue and make you dread getting out of bed in the morning (especially if you are scheduled to work a shift that day).

Sometimes, stress can alter a person’s normal mood and personality. Nurses who normally are patient and kind but suddenly find themselves angry and insensitive to others may be stressed out.

One of the most serious symptoms of nurse stress is illness. Stress to the point of burnout can make a nurse physically sick. If you are dealing with any of these symptoms, it is time to speak to your healthcare provider to determine the best solution for your situation. Do not wait until you hit the peak of burnout before seeking help.

Putting a face to nurse stress

Dawn Jones, an RN for 31 years who practices in Denver, Colo., said the most stressful part of her job is dealing with chronically short staffing. “Nursing acuity standards suggest, for example, I should have 4-5 patients on day shift. But reality is 7,” she said.

This causes her a lot of stress and anxiety because she knows that when she is overburdened with too many patients at once, she is more likely to make a mistake in the administration of their care. “Nursing is an unforgiving profession,” she said. “A single mistake could cost someone their life, or a nurse their nursing license.”

Spreading herself thin among too many patients is not the only source of her stress. Jones said there is a much darker side to the unrelenting overwork situation. “You leave for the day, often hours late, feeling unfulfilled. You know you weren’t able to provide the personal care that every patient deserves. The little things they have a right to expect and you entered into the profession to provide.”

Jones said this is the kind of day-after-day feeling that can cause young nursing professionals to lose their spark and resign. “That further adds to the shortage problems.”

Allie Watkins, Pittsburgh, Pa. nurse who is new to the job, said she concurs with Jones’s assessment. Watkins started her professional nursing career at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in March. She works in a hospital caring for moms and newborn babies. “Sometimes it’s hard when you have several moms and babies to care for at the same time,” she said.

Thanks to COVID-19, Watkins said she has extra stress that extends beyond nursing shortages. In her hospital, all the nurses are being asking to train on different units and jump in where needed. Sometimes this means working as nursing assistants so other nurses can relocate to COVID-19 units.

How to manage your stress as a nurse

Completely eliminating the sources of nurse stress is not realistic. Some issues – like a global pandemic that is pushing nurses to their limits – eventually will subside. Others, like ongoing staff shortages, likely will not. Nurses who choose to stick it out need effective solutions for managing their stress.

Meditation is one of the most recommended stress management techniques for nurses. Jones said it is one of her favorite coping mechanisms. She also likes to take long walks alone while listening to her favorite upbeat music. “It’s a struggle sometimes to not bring your job home with you. The stressors tend to permeate through your personal life. But to survive, you must check it at the door – compartmentalize.”

Apps like Headspace and Calm are great for nurses who want to benefit from meditation and mindfulness but require some assistance getting started.

Exercise is another effective stress reliever. Watkins said it is her go-to when the job becomes overwhelming and she feels like things are spiraling out of her control. Her favorite way to burn some calories and work off her frustration is with online workouts from her gym. Any form of exercise is appropriate for stress relief.   

Professional development is another way to learn valuable tips for managing stress. Incredible Health offers free nursing CEUs on a variety of topics, including stress management and health and well-being. Earn contact hours toward your licensure requirements while learning some helpful tips to apply to your daily stress management.

Managing stress during the COVID-19 pandemic

As we enter a particularly difficult period during the growing global coronavirus pandemic, you may find that you feel more exhausted, stressed, or anxious than usual. Our already understaffed hospitals are facing the likelihood of not enough beds, not enough equipment, and not enough nurses and doctors. It’s normal to be concerned.

And it’s more important than ever for you to take care of yourself – physically and emotionally. Here are some tips for how to handle the stress of COVID-19. 

Connect with your loved ones. Social distancing doesn’t mean disconnecting. There are a lot of ways to stay connected to your loved ones even when you can’t be physically present. The longer this lasts, the more isolated you’re likely to feel. Make a plan for how you’ll stay connected to your friends and family. We’re seeing everything from online dance parties to digital game nights and more. 

Limit your exposure to the news. This doesn’t mean ignore the news – it’s important to be informed. But check the source, and limit how much time you spend reading the news or on social media if it’s causing you stress. You might download one of the apps that limits your time online, or delete apps from your phone entirely. Pay attention to how you feel during and after spending time online. 

Find uplifting moments. All around the world, people are singing and clapping for their healthcare heroes. People are finding ways to show their loved ones they care when they can’t be together in person. Even in times of crisis or chaos, the beautiful parts of life are still happening all around you. What lifts you up? Your loved ones, time in nature, music? For every minute less you spend on social media, you get one minute more to do something you love. Prioritize what makes you feel good. 

A final word on nurse stress

Nurse stress is a real problem in the profession. Failing to identify and cope with the stressors of the job can lead to lasting negative effects on a nurse’s mental and physical health. Take up a hobby, go for a walk, or spend some time engaging in mindfulness. Find the stress outlet that works best for you and speak to your healthcare provider if you are having difficulty managing.