Nursing staff face challenging workplace conditions on a daily basis, an evidence-based strategy for supporting them and encouraging self-care is journalling

It is no secret that anxiety and depression are the most common mental health issues facing the UK population.

Figures from the Mental Health Foundation reveal that, in 2023, 60% of adults reported that anxiety had interfered in their daily lives in the previous two weeks and 20% said they felt anxious most or all of the time.

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Incidence of depression in adults has risen from one in ten to one in six since the pandemic.

Within the nursing profession, NHS England data shows that the proportion of sick days attributed to stress, anxiety, depression and other psychological illnesses increased from 21% in 2022 to 24.3% in 2023. 

That is equivalent to every NHS nurse and health visitor taking an entire week off work for stress-related illnesses in 2023.

Journalling supports staff through challenging times and encourages self-care

With staff shortages and demand on the health service at an all-time high, nurses and their managers must find new ways to help them maintain their own, and their team members’, mental well-being.

Particularly when workforce pressures limit the provision of regular debriefings and clinical supervision sessions for staff to discuss issues that are on their mind.

One evidence-based strategy for supporting staff through challenging times and encouraging self-care is journalling.

• RELATED: Using journalling to support nurses’ mental well-being and self-care in challenging times

In Using journalling to support nurses’ mental well-being and self-care in challenging times, Sarah Butler offers a step-by-step guide that provides nurses with an accessible and effective approach to the practice. 

‘Making time for yourself and self-reflection can be a powerful act of self-care’

Ms Butler states ‘journalling can encourage self-reflection and self-expression, providing individuals with a unique space to observe their thoughts, emotions and experiences’.

I am not a nurse, but I have found journalling to be a useful tool during times of extreme stress.

Taking time for myself to sit quietly and offload worries and fears by getting them down on paper has helped to declutter my mind and given me a sense of empowerment and release.

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When nurses are facing challenging working conditions on a daily basis, which take a toll on their emotional and psychological well-being and which can negatively impact patient care, making time for yourself and self-reflection can be a powerful act of self-care.