healthcare blog | Secure Healthcare Solutions

As a healthcare provider, where our healthcare staff has experienced stressful situations during this pandemic providing personal care, we understand that stress is a normal part of life, during your lifetime everybody will experience stressful situations. Stress is the feeling of being affected mentally or emotionally pressured. It can be very difficult to get rid of stress, as there could be reoccurring thoughts and situations which you experience or have experienced. Stress can be overwhelming when you are exposed to it for a long period of time.
Everyday life experiences can cause stress, such as work, relationships, and money problems, when feeling stressed it can be difficult to sort out these issues and it can affect everything that you do.
Stress can cause mental health problems. For example, if you struggle to deal with feelings of stress, it could lead to mental health difficulties such as anxiety or depression.
Mental health problems can cause stress. It may be difficult to deal with your mental health problem, and also managing medication, health care appointments, or treatments that can cause further stress.

What are the signs of stress?
You are likely to experience stress differently in various situations. It can be difficult to tell straight away if you are experiencing stress, and you may just carry on with everyday life. Stress can impact you emotionally and physically, which is likely to impact your behavior.

There are various symptoms that you can experience:
Cognitive symptoms
Memory problems
Difficulties concentrating
Poor judgment
Negative thoughts
Anxious thoughts
Constant worrying

Emotional symptoms
Depression
Feeling unhappy
Anxiety and feeling agitated
Moody, irritability, or anger
Feeling lonely and isolated.

Physical symptoms
Muscle aches and pains
Diarrhea or constipation
Nausea & Dizziness
Chest pain and a rapid heart rate
Frequent colds or flu

Behavioral symptoms
Eating more food or loss of appetite
Sleeping a lot or not enough
Avoiding others and finding it difficult to communicate
Procrastinating
Nervous habits (shaking leg, nail-biting, chewing pen)
Drinking or smoking

Secure healthcare suggestions on how to deal with stress

Exercise
Regular working out is a great way to relax your body and mind. This can improve your mood. Getting outdoors is a great way to boost your mood. Whether it a short period of exercises such as a 10–30-minute run, daily walk, or bike ride. A gym workout at home or at the gym can also be important to keep you occupied and clear your mind. Lack of exercise can increase the risk of anxiety and depression. Exercise is critical to clear your mind and negative thoughts to boost your mood.

Eating well
We recommend you eating a well-balanced diet to help you feel better in general, this will help you control your moods. It is essential to have a diet that consists of protein, high level of vitamins, eating vegetables and fruit is imperative to ensure you are having your five a day, also it is important that you are hydrated by drinking water.

Sleep
Ensure you get seven to eight hours of sleep, keep yourself occupied during the day, and also meditation and relaxing sleep music can help you get to sleep.

Hobby
Undertaking a hobby such as reading, hiking, writing, cooking, learning to play a musical instrument, baking, and playing board games with your family and friends can take your mind off things and keep you occupied.

Meditation, stress reduction, or yoga
It is beneficial to meditate and practice relaxation techniques to help you deal with stress. There is a lot of content on YouTube which you can watch to help you with this.
The NHS provides a lot of information about stress and how to deal with it. Click here to find out more.

Eating healthy can be a bit of a challenge, as healthcare professionals are typically managing long shifts, running around and balancing many things at once. Taking a lunch break can sometimes be impossible. For this reason, snacking might be the best way to keep you going. Snacks can be consumed quickly on the go. Plus, eating 5-6 small meals a day, instead of 3 large meals, keeps the metabolism working at peak performance. Here are some great snack suggestions for busy nurses, doctors or healthcare workers :

Fresh or dried fruit. Fresh fruit is portable, refreshing, and can be eaten quickly. Fruits that are ready to eat when you want them are best, such as apples, bananas, grapes, or berries. Oranges and other citrus fruits can also be a good snack, but it is best to peel them ahead of time so they can be consumed quickly on the go. Dried fruit is also a great healthy snack idea, but watch out for added sugar and preservatives. When it comes to fruit, fresh is best.
Sliced apple (or a banana) with peanut butter (2 tablespoons is 1 serving).Apples alone are a great snack because they are highly portable and are low on the glycemic index, which means that it digests more slowly than many other carbohydrates and does not cause an extreme spike in blood sugar. Pairing an apple with peanut butter, which is a good source of protein and good for you fats, will keep you feeling full even longer. Sliced apples can be easily dipped in peanut butter and eaten on the go. Bananas are a great source of potassium, which is essential for proper muscular function. For additional convenience, peanut butter can be purchased in serving-sized packages
Brown rice cake with nut butter.Anything paired with nut butter is a great workday snack. Brown rice cakes are low calorie and can be kept at work for easy access.
Hummus is another food that is low glycemic and a good source of fat and protein. It can be consumed with multigrain crackers or whole wheat pita bread, or with veggies, such as cucumbers, celery, carrots, or peppers, for added nutritional value. Hummus can be purchased in a snack-size or in a larger container that can be stored in the break room refrigerator.
Mixed nuts.Nuts are low glycemic and high in fat and protein, in additional to other health benefits. This is another snack that is easily eaten on the go, but be weary of your serving sizes. A serving of nuts is 1 ounce, which is typically about a handful. Choosing natural or lightly salted nuts over those with higher sodium. Pair the nuts with some dried cranberries or raisins for a healthy trail mix.
Greek yogurt.Greek yogurt is high in protein, so it helps you stay full throughout your shift. Its portability makes it a great grab-and-go snack. This is another item that is easily stored in the break room refrigerator. Add fruit, nuts, or granola for greater energy.
Oatmeal is full of protein and fibre, helping you get through your day. It is also warming and comforting, which makes for a soothing snack. The healthiest variety is plain or original oatmeal, but there are also many different flavors available. Adding fruit, nuts, and honey is a good way perk up plain oatmeal.
Cottage cheese.2% milk fat or nonfat cottage cheese is high in protein to keep you full longer and low in fat and calories. This snack can be bought in convenient snack-size packages or in a larger container and left at work. Cottage cheese is versatile and can be eaten with virtually anything. Try it with fresh fruit or fruit preserves, veggies, or avocado to mix it up.
Protein or granola bars.There are many different brands and flavors of protein and granola bars to choose from. Reading the label is key to finding the healthiest ones, as some pack so much sugar they are basically glorified candy bars. Look for bars that are lower in sugar and that contain 10 or more grams of protein and 4 or more grams of fibre.
Fruit smoothie or protein shake.Fruit smoothies and protein shakes can be purchased at the grocery store or made at home before work and stored in the refrigerator until snack-time. If buying them pre-made, watch out for smoothies and shakes that are high in sugar or contain a lot of preservatives.

Have any other favourite healthy snacks? Leave a comment to share it with us – Sharing is caring too !