The Unique Challenge of Anxiety in Nursing
Let’s chat about something we all know too well in our nursing world – anxiety. It’s like this unwelcome guest that’s always hanging around. Although everyone deals with stress and anxiety, in nursing, it’s a whole different ball game. We’re not simply discussing occasional anxiety. Nurses are constantly put under pressure to address a multitude of tasks throughout the day. This is particularly true in hospital settings. Nursing burnout is a struggle for many, but everyone’s journey is unique.
A Look at ‘Building a Non-Anxious Life
I recently read Building a Non-Anxious Life by Dr. John Delony. The book has an interesting take on anxiety and is highly relevant to the topic of resilience in nursing. Delony describes anxiety as a smoke alarm – a signal that something’s not right, rather than the problem itself. He starts out the book suggests that while medication is helpful, it doesn’t tackle the underlying issues. It’s a refreshing angle, especially against the usual focus on neurochemistry in the field of mental health.
But, and it’s a big but, I think the book misses some complexity. Turns out, Dr. John Delony isn’t a Psychiatrist or Psychologist. This isn’t made clear in the book, particularly when he discusses medication, which is a bit concerning. It would have been a good idea to start out the book with a big disclaimer: “I am not a Psychiatrist or Psychologist”. A lot of people, as I found out through researching google searches, seem to think he’s a psychiatrist. Many individuals have searched for “Dr. John Delony Psychiatrist” on google. This tells me that I am not the only one who assumed that someone who’s name starts with “Dr”, and writes a book on anxiety would be a Psychiatrist or Psychologist.
Finding Balance: The Key to Managing Nursing Burnout
Delony’s perspective, while valuable, seems to be more personal than clinical. It’s like what Daniel Kahneman says in Thinking Fast and Slow “What you see is all there is”. – our brains only account for what we see and what we have experienced, which doesn’t always give us the full picture. In my experience working with psychiatric patients, I’ve seen that anxiety is a complex topic. It’s not just about nature or nurture; it’s about everything from genetics to your current life situation, past experiences, environment, habits, and brain chemistry. I do think that Dr. John Delony has a point, we do often tend to look at anxiety as the problem that needs to get fixed, as if it is a disease that can be cured by medication alone. However, when we disregard the fact that neurochemistry and genetic predisposition play a huge role, we are missing the other half of the picture.
So, what’s the takeaway for us in nursing? I believe it’s about finding balance. Anxiety and nursing burnout aren’t things you can just fix with a pill or a few lifestyle tweaks. It’s about understanding the unique mix of factors in each person’s life. Everyone would do well to take breaks from work, spend time with people other than coworkers, partake in an enjoyable hobby, and get plenty of sleep and exercise. However, we have to realize that some people are wired to be more anxious than others. Some people need to be on medications for the long term in order to find wellness, and that’s ok.
Each person is unique. The path towards preventing burnout in healthcare looks different for everyone. Though it can be very rewarding, nursing is a tough field. Some people are wired in a way that makes the risk of nursing burnout much higher. Some people strive in a particular area of nursing, while struggling in another. While the approach to self-care for nurses may differ from person to person, its importance remains universal across the profession. If you’re looking for a few ideas on your journey to wellness, check out my new book: Self-Care Rx for Healthcare Professionals: Proven Strategies to Combat Stress and Burnout.
