Practicing Mindfulness to Secure the Benefits of Working in Telehealth

Telemedicine jobs can provide a huge improvement for your work/life balance. But, just like other jobs in healthcare, you can become stressed.

In fact, a recent study by Martec (conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic) found that 42% of those working from home suffer from increased stress.

The reasons for stress in telemedicine jobs are many and varied. For example:

• For new entrants to the industry, the adjustment can be difficult
• Working without your colleagues near takes some getting used to
• Working at home, you’re surrounded by the chores that must be done
• You may be less protected from the daily flood of bad news shared by the world’s media

In this article, we look at why and how mindfulness can help you relieve your stress when working from home in telemedicine jobs.

What Is Mindfulness?

According to Oxford Languages, mindfulness is ‘a mental state achieved by focusing on one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique’.

You’ll find mindfulness in many practices, such as meditation and yoga, and consists of elements such as:

• Awareness of the present moment – including sounds, smells, sight, and sensations that you might otherwise ignore
• Focus on the present moment, rather than consideration of the past or anticipation of the future
• Non-judgmental acceptance of your thoughts and feelings
• Objective observation of negative thoughts and feelings, and recognition that they are temporary

How Does Mindfulness Help to Relieve Stress?

Mindfulness takes you out of your busy life. The life in which you are always doing. The life in which the expectations of you are often the source of your stress. (Let’s not forget that many of those expectations may be created by yourself, too.)

Practicing mindfulness helps you to be more aware of the what, how, and why of your thoughts. You switch to being mode from doing mode, and this helps you to pause before acting.

Greater self-awareness leads to greater awareness of others. You become more understanding of the emotions of other people, and how your actions may affect those emotions. As you do so, you modify your actions and reduce the likelihood of stressful conflict.

As a mindful person, you are more likely to think differently, focus positively, and show greater care and compassion.

How Can You Practice Mindfulness in Telemedicine Jobs?

As you are working from home, in what should be a ‘safe space’, your capacity for practicing mindfulness should be greater. Here are a few mindfulness techniques to get you started.

·      Breathing Exercises

Practice mindful breathing, concentrating solely on your breathing. This is a great way to relax during particularly stressful moments. Inhale deeply through your nose, hold your breath for a few seconds, and exhale slowly through your mouth. If your mind wanders, refocus on your breathing.

·      Mindful Eating

When you take lunch, eat more slowly, and focus your thoughts on the eating sensation – smelling, tasting, chewing, swallowing.

·      Meditation

There are many meditation techniques. Here’s one you can practice on your own (called ‘self-guided meditation’). Sit quietly and pay attention to your body and thoughts. Steer them to positive thoughts about yourself, your friends and family, and then to all people.

·      Body Scan

One of the most effective mindfulness exercises, a body scan reconnects your mind to your physical self. You can body scan sitting or laid down. Notice your physical feelings, but don’t react to them. Progress through each part of your body, from your toes to your head.

When to Practice Mindfulness

In our article ‘How does a primary care physician stay sane when working from home?’ we discussed our top tips to help you get the most out of a home-based telehealth career. Among them was to make sure you structure your workday to suit you, and to take regular breaks.

During breaks, it is important to remove yourself from the work mindset. A perfect way to do this is to take the opportunity to practice mindfulness. Re-energize your brain. Relieve your stress. Be more mindful. As your stress levels recede, you’ll notice physical benefits as well as mental health improvements. According to Harvard, these physical benefits include:

• Reduced heart rate
• Boosted immune system
• Improved cardiac functioning
• Increased life expectancy

Being aware of your mindfulness is the first step to improving it, and enhancing all the benefits that come with it. You’ll be more productive, make better decisions, and focus more effectively. And that will help you enjoy your working life more and benefit fully from the potential of telemedicine jobs to improve your work/life balance.

If you’re looking for a position that suits you better, then get in touch with Telehealth Gigs and review the thousands of telemedicine jobs available today.