How To Rekindle Joy In Your Work

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When I talk with people who work in nursing homes or other long-term care settings, it’s not unusual to hear words of discouragement. While this line of work is incredibly rewarding, there are also times when it drains our souls.

Besides the physical toll it takes on our bodies, this type of work is emotionally demanding. It’s hard to watch the residents we care about as they struggle with pain, loss, confusion, and other enormous challenges.

Then there are the regulations, policies, and funding restrictions that seem to get in the way of providing good care. In addition, we interact with families who seem impossible to please as they struggle with their own hurts.

As human beings with varying personalities, we sometimes develop rifts with our co-workers. And finally, we often leave work and go home to another set of challenges that can suck the joy out of our work.

Thankfully, more and more organizations are realizing the importance of providing support for caregivers. But, ultimately, it’s up to us to take steps to refuel the passion we feel for our work. To help you do this, I’ve come up with a series of articles with lots of suggestions to help you put the joy back into your work.

(Please note that this isn’t meant for people who are experiencing full-fledged burnout. In this case, I encourage you to talk with a professional who can provide more in-depth assistance.)

Consider The Benefits

Make a list of all the good things that are in your life because of the job you have now.

• Did you meet co-workers who are now your good friends?
• Has the money you’ve earned allowed you to buy something special or helped you get out of debt?
• How have you grown as a person through the challenges of your job? Perhaps you’ve developed patience, empathy, flexibility, or assertiveness.
• What special skills have you developed while at your current job?
• How have you been able to improve the lives of other people through your work?
• Does your current schedule allow you to do something that you might not be able to do with another job? Maybe it allows you to attend college or spend more time with your children.

Start Your Day Off Right

• Take a few minutes to do stretching exercises before or immediately after you get out of bed. This gets your blood circulating and activates your energy.
• Do not hit that snooze button. Studies show that going back to sleep for those few extra minutes often messes up your sleep cycle, leaving you feeling groggy.
• Eat a healthy breakfast. A meal of protein, carbohydrates, and fiber energizes and sustains you through those first busy hours of your day.
• Get everything together (clothes, shoes, breakfast supplies, etc.) the prior evening. This keeps the morning flowing smoothly and prevents you from getting stressed out before you even leave for work.
• Put yourself in a positive mood by listening to your favorite upbeat music while you get ready for the day.

Infuse Laughter Into Your Work

• Find a joke to share with your co-workers and your residents each day. If you need help with this, check out the Reader’s Digest joke page.
• Throw a stress ball around the room when you’re waiting for a meeting to start.
• Take turns posting funny cartoons in the employee break room. (They need to be in good taste, of course!)
• Get a group together and sing a song or do an impromptu dance in the middle of your shift.
• Figure out what your co-workers’ names would be if spelled backward. Call each other by those names all day.
• Encourage silly dress-up days (clothes backward or inside out, vintage clothes, outrageous hats, pajamas).

Be Good To Yourself

People who care for others often don’t take time to care for themselves. But it’s important to remember that you can’t give from an empty cup.

Every one of us is granted 1440 new minutes each day. Use at least 15 of those minutes to do something special for yourself.

• Listen to your favorite music.
• Read a chapter of a good book.
• Give yourself a foot massage.
• Go for a walk.
• Do yoga or Tai Chi.
• Watch a meditation video on YouTube.
• Color a picture in an adult coloring book.

I’m so glad you took the time to read this article about rekindling the joy in your work. Keep in mind, though, that the article is useless if you don’t put these tips into practice.

Pick a few goals to work on during the upcoming month and see if it doesn’t make a difference. Next month, I’ll share four more areas that will increase the joy you feel in your work.

I always find it easier to follow through on a goal if I write it down on paper. So I hope you’ll jot down your goals and hang them on your bathroom mirror, fridge, or someplace else where you can look at them often. Everyone’s situation is different, so choose the suggestions that are most meaningful for you.

It also helps with goal accountability when you invite other people to join you in this quest. So I hope you’ll share this article with your friends and co-workers. For even more accountability, feel free to share your goals in the comment section.

 

Wait! Before you go, here’s a free printable you can post for inspiration when you’re having a rough day.