Self-Care Practices in Healthcare: Realistic Strategies for Busy Professionals

In a profession centered on caring for others, healthcare workers often struggle to prioritize self-care practices in their own lives. Between long shifts, demanding patients, and the emotional weight of medical decisions, finding time for personal wellbeing can feel impossible. Yet implementing consistent self-care practices in healthcare settings isn’t just beneficial—it’s essential for preventing burnout and providing quality patient care.

Common Barriers to Self-Care Practices in Healthcare

The Transforming Healthcare Coaching team recently gathered to discuss the realistic challenges healthcare professionals face when trying to implement self-care practices. Their insights reveal common obstacles that might be holding you back:

Time Constraints

“Time is always a big constraint that we all have,” shares Amy Bubser. “There’s a thought that if I’m going to self-care and do something, this routine is going to take me a really long time.”

But is time truly the barrier, or is it our perception? Klaus Grim notes that time is often “just an obstacle that I placed myself,” while he later realized he could “wake up earlier and do a little jog, or go to bed a little bit earlier and have more time for myself.”

Family Responsibilities

For healthcare professionals with families, the challenge multiplies. Gillian Faith explains, “I felt pulled in so many different directions… feeling guilty about taking time out of kid activities because I have to be at work.”

This juggling act often leaves healthcare workers exhausted before they even begin their shifts, creating a cycle where self-care practices seem impossible to maintain.

Workplace Culture

Perhaps the most insidious barrier is the healthcare culture itself. As Lillian Liang Emlet points out, “We are willing to role model that it’s okay to have our boundaries stepped all over, and it’s very easy to be disliked for having normal, healthy behaviors.”

This creates an environment where those who prioritize self-care practices might be viewed as less committed to the team—a harmful misconception that perpetuates burnout.

Debunking Self-Care Myths in Healthcare

Before diving into strategies, let’s address some common misconceptions about self-care practices in healthcare:

“Self-Care Is Selfish”

Grizelda Anguiano challenges this directly: “Let’s look at the actual definition of selfish. It’s ‘lacking consideration for others, concerned chiefly with one’s own personal profit or pleasure.’ And that is not it!” Taking time for self-care practices actually enables healthcare professionals to provide better care to patients.

As Gillian Faith adds, “You can’t pour from an empty cup. We have to look after ourselves in order to be able to care for others.”

“Self-Care Requires Hours of Time”

Amy Bubser shares a personal revelation: “I’ve had a routine that I’ve done on and off over many years that literally can take two to three minutes that I do in the morning. That is a game-changer for me.”

Self-care practices don’t need to be time-consuming to be effective. Small, consistent actions often yield the greatest benefits.

“Self-Care Only Happens Outside of Work”

Klaus challenges the idea that self-care belongs only at home: “Self-care doesn’t have to be reserved just for home. Self-care can be at work.” This shift in perspective opens numerous opportunities for implementing self-care practices throughout the workday.

Practical Self-Care Strategies for Healthcare Professionals

Now for the actionable part—how can busy healthcare professionals incorporate self-care practices into their hectic schedules?

Micro-Moments Throughout the Day

Amy shares how she deliberately chose the exam room furthest from the computers: “I got in so many steps… just that time that I walked the really far room and moved my body and said hello to the people along the way, it was like a break for me.”

Grizelda recommends the “hand on the doorknob” technique: “Before I go in, just take a quick breath… and knowing, ‘Okay, what’s my purpose?'”

These small moments of mindfulness can be integrated throughout even the busiest shifts.

Morning Intention Setting

Lillian highlights the power of starting your day with intention: “Taking that 15 minutes for themselves to not scroll, doom scroll on their phone when you first wake up… and actually do something for themselves.”

This doesn’t require waking up hours earlier—even 20-30 minutes of intentional activity can “fill your cup” and set a positive tone for the day.

Digital Boundaries

“Have people switch off notifications on their phones that are not necessary,” suggests Gillian. “Obviously in healthcare, there’s a lot of messages coming across that are absolutely crucial, but there’s some that are not.”

Reducing digital distractions creates mental space for self-care practices even during busy days.

Bite-Sized Learning

For healthcare professionals concerned about keeping up with medical knowledge, Gillian recommends tools like Blinkist: “It gives you the short version and you can listen to it versus reading the whole book.”

This approach acknowledges that professional development is itself a form of self-care when done mindfully.

Workplace Self-Care Moments

Klaus shares his emergency department strategy: “If you’re feeling overwhelmed, taking a breath of the fresh air, walking out the ambulance bay for a quick second… helps you refresh and restart, and in that essence, that’s self-care.”

These brief resets can prevent burnout during challenging shifts.

Getting Started: The One Small Step Approach

The panel unanimously agrees that the key to sustainable self-care practices in healthcare is starting small. As Lillian explains, “The biggest hindrance that we often do for ourselves is the fact that we pick a huge goal—’I want to lose 50 pounds.’ So how about we just walk every day for 15 minutes?”

Grizelda offers this challenge: “Try something and see how you feel at the end of the day, how you feel at the end of the week. And just reflect on it.”

Klaus adds, “One small task in the beginning, one baby step… incorporating one small strategy into your self-care can transform the rest of the day.”

The Bottom Line

Implementing self-care practices in healthcare settings isn’t about adding another task to your already overwhelming to-do list. Instead, it’s about recognizing that small, intentional moments of self-care throughout your day can prevent burnout, improve patient care, and ultimately make your work more sustainable and fulfilling.

As the pandemic has taught us, healthcare workers must prioritize their wellbeing to effectively care for others. By starting with one small self-care practice and building gradually, you can create sustainable habits that support your physical, mental, and emotional health—even in the demanding world of healthcare.

Need support developing personalized self-care practices for your healthcare career? Book a free discovery call to learn about coaching programs designed specifically for healthcare professionals.