Mental Health Tips for new doctors
Many doctors are currently settling into new roles and assignments, some fresh out of medical school, and many facing new organizations, specialties, and colleagues. For health NHS practitioners, August is usually a quiet time of year for new registrations, perhaps because many are focused on understanding their new roles and positions. Usually, it takes about six weeks before the symptoms of stress start to show and people realize that they cannot cope with the new and different demands they face. As a result, some may experience stress and anxiety and possibly the first signs of burnout.
Physical needs and self-care
If these needs are not met, you will become physically and mentally ill – it’s that simple. So what can you do to make sure you’re taking care of yourself and responding when your body tells you it needs something?
- Drink plenty of water, get yourself a water bottle, and fill it up when you get a chance
- Get yourself a pair of comfortable shoes – you might be walking a lot and the last thing you want is blisters and sore feet
- Stretch throughout the day – this will help with long-term joint and back pain, but also give you a boost of energy
- If you need to go to the toilet, go – if you take a few minutes away from work to deal with physical activity, worse disasters can happen if you don’t go when you need to.
- Eat – take snacks with you, make time for meal breaks, and drink tea/coffee with your team – you’ll be more focused and a safer clinician by taking a short time to replenish your body
- Get some fresh air during your shift – five to ten minutes or so in daylight will perk you up and make a difference. You will be able to concentrate better and be more efficient as a result
Remember that it’s not if you make mistakes, but when you make mistakes – we all make mistakes. What is important is how we respond to these mistakes and learn from them
If there are certain tasks or situations that make you anxious or afraid, identify them and make a plan.
Mental Health Tips for new doctors
Stress
Medicine by its very nature can be a stressful environment, and many doctors feel stressed at times. That’s okay and it can be positive to help us focus and get things done.
Everyone will experience stress from time to time – that’s normal. Today it might be you, tomorrow it might be your mentor – we all have bad days
- Speak up if you feel overwhelmed. Let your colleagues help you when you’re struggling and you can do the same for them next week
- If someone yells at you, it will feel personal and that’s okay. But remember they’re probably feeling the stress themselves – give them and yourself a break
- Carry extra snacks – your stressed-out co-worker might have forgotten them and be eternally grateful
We see more than 3,500 doctors and dentists every year so you don’t feel alone.
- Eat, drink, wee, rest.
- You can’t be perfect 100% of the time.
- Sometimes your colleagues will be mean.
- You will be wrong. You can’t prioritize everything as the most important, some things just won’t get done or are not done very well.
- You don’t know how to do certain things, or you’re doing something you’ve never done before. It’s scary but mostly not difficult. You may just need to do this but remember: being a doctor doesn’t make you a human being.
Mental Health Tips for new doctors
