How much control do you have at work? Tons? Feeling great about it?
Awesome, then you can stop reading and go have an amazing day.
On the off chance that you DON’T have a lot of control at work, let me help you work through how awful that feels.
After all, research has shown time and again that lack of autonomy at work leads to the dreaded B word. So it’s important to talk about it, not just to feel better but to prevent (or reverse) chronic overwhelm and burnout.
Sounds great… and impossible. After all, how can we just somehow magically influence our level of control and autonomy at work without controlling the people and situations around us?
I’m sorry, I don’t have the answer to controlling people around you and I promise, it’s not for lack of trying.
But I do have the answer about having some control at work WITHOUT changing the people or circumstances around you.
It starts in a somewhat unexpected place, it starts with reminding yourself WHY you became a nurse. Usually, the answer to this is rooted in some variety of this statement.
I wanted to care for people.
I wanted to decrease suffering in the world.
I wanted to make a difference.
AND
I wanted a job I could rely on and that would provide for my basic needs/ my family.
Take a minute and think about why YOU became a nurse.
Ok, now let’s put it into an algorithm (I love flow charts like this… I also loved diagramming sentences in elementary school- don’t judge me.)
If you can take a few minutes and do this work, it will change everything. Sure, you may need to remind yourself often, like I do, but it gets easier and easier while the dramatic background noise at work gets quieter and quieter.
You ARE achieving the reason you went into nursing. This is the ultimate control at work.
You can thrive in ANY job if you just start telling yourself the truth; you ARE giving good care. You are the perfect nurse for this situation. Your patients' lives are better because of you.
Still struggling to believe this is true? I know it can be tough. Join me next Wednesday evening, April 26th at 7:30pm EST for an online discussion of how to get your empathy back. See what it's like to actually DO something about how you are feeling. Sign up here.
Can't make the 26th but still need to figure this out? Click here to schedule a free consult call.