Escape the Overwhelm: How to Avoid Being the Nurse with their Hair on Fire
How to Avoid Being the Nurse with Her Hair on Fire: Practical Strategies to Manage Overwhelm
If you've ever worked in a hospital or healthcare setting, you might have seen it: the nurse with her hair on fire. This nurse is constantly spinning, running from task to task, and often feels overwhelmed and frazzled. She may be dealing with an excessive workload, battling stress, and struggling to maintain a sense of control. This is the nurse trapped in the all-too-familiar state of overwhelm.
In today's post, we’re going to explore how to recognize when you're in overwhelm, the psychological and physical effects it can have, and practical strategies you can implement to regain control and find more peace during your shift. The goal is to help you break free from the overwhelming spiral and work with more clarity and calm.
Understanding Overwhelm in Nursing
Overwhelm happens when you feel emotionally or mentally burdened by too many tasks, demands, or stresses. It goes beyond just feeling “busy” – it’s when the weight of everything becomes mentally paralyzing, making it hard to focus or get things done effectively. As nurses, we face many factors that contribute to this state – high patient loads, constant interruptions, critical tasks to complete, and emotional exhaustion.
Psychologically, overwhelm can lead to:
Impaired focus and concentration
Increased anxiety or worry
Difficulty making decisions
Decreased self-esteem or confidence
Emotional exhaustion
A sense of losing control
On the physical side, you might experience:
Increased heart rate
Muscle tension or pain
Digestive issues (like nausea or abdominal pain)
Sleep disturbances or fatigue
Weakened immune system
This constant state of overwhelm, if left unchecked, can eventually lead to burnout. Burnout occurs when the stress and emotional exhaustion from prolonged overwhelm deplete your energy, leaving you feeling drained, demotivated, and hopeless.
Identifying the Types of Overwhelm: Legitimate vs. Lifestyle Overwhelm
Mel Robbins, a New York Times bestselling author and motivational speaker, talks about two main types of overwhelm: Legitimate Overwhelm and Lifestyle Overwhelm. Let’s break them down:
Legitimate Overwhelm
This type of overwhelm arises from a season of life or specific circumstances. For example, nursing school, personal life challenges, caring for a sick family member, or other significant life changes can create this type of stress. During these times, you’re dealing with more than just your regular routine, and the stress feels heavier.
How to cope with Legitimate Overwhelm:
Give yourself grace. Accept that you’re in a difficult season and treat yourself with compassion.
Set boundaries. Limit social engagements and say “no” more often. This period is about protecting your energy.
Prioritize self-care. Focus on the basics – get enough sleep, hydrate, and nourish your body. Your capacity to manage other tasks will grow as you take care of your needs.
While Legitimate Overwhelm is challenging, it’s often temporary, and you’ll have the opportunity to bounce back once the season passes.
Lifestyle Overwhelm
Lifestyle Overwhelm is the type of stress that comes from daily life and situations. It’s common in nursing, where multiple patients, shifting priorities, and a constant flow of tasks can create chaos. This is the overwhelming feeling you experience when your workday seems to spiral out of control, but you’re not dealing with a specific life crisis. Instead, your environment, workload, and the demands placed on you are making you feel stretched thin.
How to cope with Lifestyle Overwhelm:
Acknowledge the overwhelm. The first step is recognizing when you're in a state of overwhelm and identifying the sources of your stress.
Stop believing the lie that “everything is important.” In nursing, it’s easy to feel like you need to tackle everything at once. In reality, not everything requires your immediate attention.
Mel Robbins’ Framework for Overwhelm
Mel Robbins offers a practical framework for managing overwhelm, which can be incredibly helpful for nurses facing the chaos of a busy shift.
Step 1: Acknowledge the Feeling of Overwhelm
The first step is to acknowledge that you are feeling overwhelmed. Once you recognize it, you can begin to take steps to manage it. If you’re in the middle of a busy shift and find yourself blaming others for your stress (the doctor for orders, the charge nurse for assigning you a new admission), it’s time to shift focus. The feeling you're experiencing isn’t necessarily about others – it’s about the overwhelm you’re feeling in that moment.
Step 2: Stop Believing the Lie That “Everything Is Important”
As nurses, we tend to believe that everything is urgent and requires our immediate attention. But Mel Robbins reminds us that this is a lie. Not all tasks are equally important, and trying to do everything at once will only fuel your stress.
Instead, ask yourself: What is truly important right now?
Step 3: Brain Dump
A brain dump is a powerful tool for clearing mental clutter. Grab a piece of paper and write down everything that’s on your mind. This includes work tasks, personal worries, or anything else causing you stress. Write it all down. Mel Robbins suggests dividing the paper into two sections: one for time-sensitive tasks and another for things that can wait.
For example, if you’re working a 12-hour shift and you have a heavy patient load, write down the tasks you need to complete – from time-sensitive activities like administering medications or completing assessments to less urgent ones like patient education or updating care plans.
Once you have everything written down, use a highlighter to mark the most important and urgent tasks. These are the tasks that require your immediate attention. Let go of the pressure to do everything, and focus on what truly matters.
Step 4: The Rule of 3
Once you've identified your most urgent tasks, follow Mel Robbins’ Rule of 3. Select the top 3 priorities for the day – these are the things that must get done. After completing these tasks, re-assess and choose the next 3 things to focus on. This approach keeps you focused and prevents you from getting lost in the never-ending to-do list.
For example, your top 3 tasks might be:
Administering scheduled medications
Completing head-to-toe assessments for all patients
Documenting admission paperwork for a new patient
By tackling your top 3 priorities, you ensure you’re addressing the most critical tasks first and not getting bogged down by things that aren’t as urgent.
Step 5: Plan Your Shift
One way to reduce overwhelm is by planning your shift. Before the chaos begins, take a few minutes to map out your day. What are the critical tasks that need to be done? When will you take breaks? How can you delegate some tasks to others? A little bit of planning can go a long way in preventing overwhelm.
Want to try these strategies?
Grab the free RN Shift Clarity Tool below!
Want More Tips to Reduce Overwhelm at Work?
Listen to the Life After Nursing School Podcast Episode 4
for five additional tangible tips on how to avoid overwhelm at the bedside.
Conclusion
Nurses are often under immense pressure, and overwhelm can feel like an inevitable part of the job. However, by recognizing when you’re in overwhelm, practicing strategies like brain dumping and prioritizing, and adopting tools to help you stay focused, you can regain a sense of control over your shift. By taking steps to prevent overwhelm from taking over, you not only improve your own well-being but also the care you provide to your patients.
Remember, you don’t have to be the nurse with her hair on fire.
You have the power to slow down, prioritize, and take back control.
Caroline
PS. Want more on this topic? Listen to Life After Nursing School Podcast Episode 4