If you had a penny for all the times you read on the internet that daily 5-minute meditation is good for mind and body, you would be a millionaire, wouldn't you? Well, get ready to add another penny to the jar.
Why do Healthcare Professionals need to practice meditation regularly?
Healthcare professionals go through a lot of stress every day and listen to the emotional and physical pains of more people in a month than an average human would in their lifetime. That is a lot to take, and it is essential to give peaceful and serene breaks to your mind and body. Regular meditation practice can help with that. It can help you align the misaligned, declutter the cluttered and array the disarrayed.
The burnout levels among medical professionals were already high, and it's only getting higher amidst the global pandemic. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the physician burnout rate was hovering around 50%. Rates have risen since COVID. According to recent data, 60% of healthcare workers say their mental health has deteriorated in the last year. Moreover, an astounding 30% of physicians & residents and 54% of nurses report moderate to high levels of burnout.
Your work needs to be perfect constantly in the medical profession, and the room for mistakes is very narrow. As a result, to properly treat your patients, you require techniques to create a balance between work and rest.
Creating a balance between work and rest for a Healthcare Professional
Although we are going to give you a few techniques to practice meditation regularly, the essence of it is this - take 2 to 3 moments throughout your day to sit back and observe your thoughts. You have to put zero effort; you can sit; you can lie down; you can stand; you can do it however you feel the utmost comfort. You don't need to force it; if your mind wants to wander, let it wander; if it wants to fixate on one thing, let it fixate on that one thing. It is all okay. You are not doing it wrong, believe us.
But, remember, after the mind has done its wandering about, bring it back to the breath. Focus on your inhalation and exhalation. The overthinking brain might want to wander again, but that's okay! Let it wander, and bring it back to the breath. Do it for 5-10 minutes 1-2 times a day, and you will start noticing a difference in your attitude towards life and work.
If you think about it, isn't that life? We are continuously getting distracted by some work or a call or family or personal matters, but unless we compartmentalize and focus on the task at hand, it is impossible to get anything done. The focus on the breathing part during a meditation session epitomizes that!
Techniques to practice meditation
We are sharing our favorite techniques to practice meditation below to help you get started on your mindfulness journey.
1) Are you an early riser or a night owl? You can schedule one of your daily meditation practice sessions either the first thing in the morning or the last, just before going to bed. In the morning, focus on three tasks you would like to get done throughout the day and in the night, appreciate yourself for the three tasks that you got done!
2) Set a reminder. Sometimes, we get held up at work, and there's no time. But there is always room for 5 minutes of mindfulness and meditation. A reminder will help you get into the rhythm.
3) Try getting to group meditation practice. Accountability can help get a lot of things done, including meditation! Doing it in a group or even with a friend or colleague can get you in the habit of meditating regularly.
4) Journal about your practice. Writing about your experience and emotion during the practice can help you reflect in times when you feel a resistance to sitting down and doing it. Not only that, you can share that with others to motivate them to do the same.
5) Finally, just remember that it is not hard. In fact, it is effortless. The less the effort, the better.
Are you a regular meditator, or have you been just getting into it? Do you have a few techniques that help you get into the rhythm? Why not join our global healthcare panel and share those with more than 5 million healthcare professionals worldwide?
We believe you might learn something from them that we did not mention here. Join our panel here - https://bit.ly/2SXnwDo and start sharing and learning!
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