Feeling Frustrated at Work? Try These Five Tips to Regain Satisfaction in the Hospital

As a hospitalist, it’s a given that you will remain busy throughout the day. Included in your schedule is likely a jam-packed lineup of patient rounding, meetings, administrative duties, follow-ups, procedures, continuing education, mentoring, and more. All of these things can leave you feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, especially if your schedule is disorganized. Unfortunately, in the hospital setting, it can be difficult to plan your day out through an exact science – this is because so much is going on around you. Instead of losing patience and becoming frustrated, you can take a few proactive measures to help yourself remain calm, collected, and satisfied in the workplace.

Regain your control and peace of mind in the workplace by trying these five things:

1. Come to terms with the unknown.

   Because of your busy schedule, it is going to be helpful to learn that the unpredictable isn’t always bad. Sometimes the unexpected can lead to a great reward in the end. This means you should try to think positively even if things don’t go as planned. Sometimes you may not have the picture-perfect solution to a problem, but by letting go and embracing what you cannot control, your vulnerability you may actually help you to relax and move on.

2. Allow yourself to overthink, but only for a set time.

   In a perfect world, we’d never overthink, and everything would always go as anticipated. However, because this is not often the case, we do recognize there are going to be times that frustration may get the best of you. When this happens and you cannot seem to practice healthy coping strategies, give yourself a few moments to set free all of your worries. This may look like talking things out in your head, writing your concerns down on paper, or taking a walk to decompress. Remember to keep this to a specified time limit, say 10-15 minutes, and then forge ahead to something new.

3. Be kind to yourself.

   When things aren’t going the way we’d like, it can be easy to be hard on ourselves and place blame personally. When we are experiencing these feelings after a long day, it’s best to show ourselves empathy and compassion. What does this look like? Practicing mindfulness as well as self-forgiveness and eliminating self-judgement. What’s more, you should try not to compare yourself with others, especially colleagues in the same position as you. If you need extra reinforcement, try writing a tenderhearted letter to yourself or talking to yourself in the mirror with kind words and affirmations.

4. Collaborate with others.

   Creating meaningful relationships with others can be a great way to de-stress and recalibrate. Often others are going through similar situations, and by participating in constructive dialogue about various frustrations, you may find solutions where you least expected. By engaging in healthy dialogue with your colleagues, family, and friends, you will be more likely to find the positive even in any discomfort you may be facing.

5. Rethink your role.

   Sometimes, your greatest setbacks can come from how you process your expectations versus realities, as well as how you approach your job. If you simply look at your role as a hospitalist as a “means to make a living,” your job satisfaction will probably be lacking. However, if you choose to look at your career as a way to give back and help others, you will more than likely have an easier time overcoming hurdles when you are overwhelmed.

Take a step back and concentrate on your motives for choosing your occupation – chances are, you will feel encouraged to keep moving forward with an optimistic attitude, no matter the challenges you face.

Takeaways

Remember, the above ideas are things to keep in mind on a daily basis as issues arise. Give yourself credit even if you only manage to remember one tip from this list. Take it slow, and one step at a time. Ultimately, the most important part of this way of thinking is to be gracious and patient with yourself even on your most problematic days.

Learn More About Advanced Care Hospitalists (ACH)

ACH is a Lakeland-based hospitalist group providing comprehensive patient care in community hospitals across Central Florida. Our providers are highly skilled, board-certified internal medicine specialists who are available around-the-clock to meet the care needs of patients from hospital admission through discharge. Post-discharge from the hospital, we continue overseeing patient care for 30 days.

We’ve found that continued care coordination ensures more accurate medication reconciliation, improved compliance with discharge plans, better scheduling of follow-up visits, and fewer hospital readmissions. Our providers do everything in their power to make sure our patients receive the compassionate and comprehensive care they need to promote healing and prevent a second hospital admission.

For more information about our services and our practice, please contact Advanced Care Hospitalists at 863-816-5884 or fill out a contact form online.

* Disclaimer: The information within this blog does not serve as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or mental health professional. If you have specific concerns about coping strategies (personally or in the workplace), you should consult your doctor or mental health professional.