The emails in my inbox grow exponentially as minutes pass, like bacteria on a fortified Petri dish, growing into something insurmountable and painful.
In one day it can go from 0 messages to 300.
What the heck would I possibly need 300 emails a day for?
Sure, I can delete them, but I have to sift through them first, finding the ones that I actually need. Even deleting the rest only buys me a little time until they come back with a vengeance.
I am pretty sure you can relate.
Do you have a million emails every day?
How many did you intentionally sign up for, thinking you wanted the information, only to change your mind?
How many did you unintentionally sign up for, not realizing that giving your email to one person gave it to 20?
How many are in there by means that can only be described as mysterious?
Let’s talk about unsubscribing (which is obviously the answer).
Sure, it takes an extra minute, sure you have to do it over and over, but it keeps the problem from compounding.
It’s not that big of a deal, we don’t get angry at the companies sending the emails, we don’t worry what they will think of us, we just hit “unsubscribe”.
Done and done.
So, what does this have to do with nursing, healthcare and job satisfaction?
I would like to suggest that we unsubscribe from drama at work.
Just unsubscribe without feeling bad or worried that people will be angry.
Let me explain.
There is potential for drama literally in every aspect of our jobs. Drama about assignments, about how other people are doing their jobs, about PTO, about who said what to who and in what tone of voice. You know what I mean.
And then there is the drama about the people who are always having drama.
Here’s the thing. Drama isn’t inherently bad, being dramatic isn’t a moral wrongdoing. But if you want to feel better at work, this is not the way to get there.
Think about it, are you happy when immersed in drama? I know you aren’t because it is literally the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, the fight, flight or freeze response.
And that doesn’t generally FEEL good in your body or in your head. It feels like danger.
So what if you unsubscribed to drama, undramatically.
We don’t have to make some big statement that we aren’t participating, we don’t have to be mad at the people who choose to still subscribe.
Treat it like email, don’t just delete in the moment, unsubscribe; make a conscious decision that you aren’t receiving it anymore, for your own peace of mind.
Keep a lookout for it so you don’t inadvertently get bogged down.
The best part is, it’s not all-or-nothing. Maybe start by unsubscribing to the drama about other coworkers. Then maybe unsubscribe to the drama about PTO or salary. Then, when you are really ambitious, unsubscribe to the drama about administration.
It doesn’t mean you can’t be concerned; it just means that you are deciding to not unnecessarily stir up your nervous system.
It means you are choosing calm.
Calm feels better.
And when you are calm, you can focus on helping your patients which always feels good.
Do you feel riled up all the time? I used to feel that way too. Reach out and let’s see how I can help you. The impact of feeling better at work will change your life. megan@nursingbeyondthejob.com