Stay Healthy, Stay Positive...with a Staycation.
How Healthcare Workers Can Avoid Burnout
COVID-19 has derailed a lot of fundamental things, including the economy, our education system, and the lives of millions. While it may seem frivolous to focus on vacations as a point of discussion, the truth is, dedicated vacation time is important. It’s not only okay to take a formal break but necessary for continued productivity, so we will give time off a moment in the spotlight.
For those who work in the healthcare industry, this is a particularly tricky conversation. There are a few reasons why healthcare workers may be the most resistant to taking vacation days right now, so to jumpstart the time off tête-à-tête, let’s examine some common objections:
They need me. Okay, you’re right! Your employer and the world at large need healthcare workers in a different way than other “essential personnel” are needed. It’s a health crisis, after all, and you have a particular set of skills. There’s a downside to the heralding of healthcare workers as heroes; heroes don’t usually feel like they can take time off. Does Batman ever get to ignore the Bat Signal?! Whether it’s direct COVID-19-related healthcare or catching up on care and procedures that were pushed back during quarantine, it can feel selfish to want to take a break.
However, your break helps more than just you. Study after study tells us vacations are healthy for our body (we’ll link this article that talks about the heart benefit in particular). Common sense also tells us that rested team members are the best team members, especially in healthcare. There will always be the propensity for medical personnel to overwork. However, the balance of backing off from time to time keeps everyone at their best. Patients and providers D.O. need you...but they need the best version of you. Vacations help that version stay at the forefront.
I need them. There’s no shame in admitting that you simply want to stay busy. A pandemic is not fun and while working without a real break can certainly help take your mind off of mortality and musing about whether or not we’re going to end up in a Mad Max-esque situation shortly, it isn’t a lasting solution. If you have not taken a significant break since the pandemic kicked off, or if you were quarantined and then incredibly glad to be back to work, there may be a certain amount of hesitation to face some quiet time. If that describes you, you’re not alone.
A staycation can be a great opportunity to either lean into what typically brings you peace, or a chance to find something that does. Curious about meditation? Wistfully remembering how great a regular Tai Chi practice made you feel? Fire up YouTube and kick off your time off with mindfulness!
We can’t go anywhere. Again...fair point. While much of the U.S. is opening back up, and it’s possible to travel to certain destinations while following the CDC guidelines, the prudent choice and the most practical is a staycation. (might want to say “Some healthcare employers may even require unpaid quarantines upon return from non-essential travel.”)
What is there to do at home, you ask, beyond figuring out how to make sure your children are actually doing school online or watching every single season of every television series known to humankind on Netflix? There’s quite a lot you can do, with the Internet and a little imagination. New York Magazine’s newsletter, The Cut, devoted an issue to staycation ideas that can jog your creativity. Some of the best include movie-themed dinners, camping inside or in your yard, full-fledged spa days, or merely putting fruit in pitchers of water to make a fancy statement. Still, we have a few ideas of our own:
● Quarantine Cup. Write down questions (here’s a list for starters), dares, directions or charade prompts on a million little pieces of paper and put them in a cup. Bored? Take one out. Alone? Make them all things you want to do or need to do.
● Takeout Till You Drop. If the budget allows, take a whole day off from cooking (and support local restaurants) by eating everything from somewhere else.
● Download a New App. Want to lip-sync on Tik Tok? Learn to sketch? Speak Spanish? There’s an app for all of those.
● Facetime, with a Twist, get in costume and dial-up your mom all your high school friends, college roommate, kids, dog walker...this is your chance to start your variety show. No Facetime? No excuse. Everyone else has Facebook Messenger Chat.
The short version is, we’re in this for the long haul. Healthcare workers are the definition of essential personnel. Working hard in this industry is a given but performing at your peak without a break isn’t sustainable, it also makes things less enjoyable.
Taking time off, even for “just” a staycation is a good thing to do for your patients, and your employer, but most importantly, it’s a good thing for you.