Advice from a recovered workaholic

I work in healthcare, that's no secret. It also isn't a secret as long as you're not living under a rock right now that there are a lot of sick people and hospitals across the nation are feeling the strain. It isn't just an increase in patient load, it also has to do with staffing issues. Many departments nationwide are experiencing staffing shortages. This makes it harder to treat our patients. But we are still here. And we are still ready to help.

As we are still here and are willing to help, that means long hours and long stretches of days for many associates. I spoke with my parents a few days ago, and I shared recently the advice I gave them about seeking treatment. If you didn't catch that one, it is titled "Let's Take A Step Back For A Second". During this conversation my mother was a typical concerned momma, asking if I was getting enough rest, was I eating good, etc. I truly appreciate her concern and told her the truth, I am tired but am getting most of a full night's rest every night, despite long hours/stretches. My husband and our youngest are being very good to encourage me to do just that.

Momma and daddy, a few years before my sisters and I came along

My daddy, on the other hand, had a game plan. You see, for years, decades even, he was a workaholic. It isn't something he is proud of and it isn't something he remembers fondly. It is something that was hard on our entire family. But, as with every life experience, he learned some things and he shared them with me to combat fatigue in the short-term of this season we are in right now.

Daddy, Yearbook photo at SHHS

Daddy advised one of the best things he used to do was set his watch alarm (he wore a silver digital Seiko, still does) for ten minutes and try to nap or at least rest your mind and eyes. At one point he was commuting from Waverly to Spring Hill, a 70 mile trip each way, and only getting three to four hours of sleep each night. He was an educator and said often after the kids left for the day he would do this, sitting straight up even, just to make it through the next few hours of work he had to do before he could drive home.

This next piece of advice was a little more dangerous and I am not sure I would advise it, but I wanted to mention it. At the time he was commuting the only way he knew to get to Spring Hill was to go through Dickson and then take a rural highway through Franklin down to Spring Hill. This was before the days of GPS on phones and road improvements, it was before cell phones, and before GPS units were widely available to the public. He said just outside of Dickson there was a pull off rural road that got little to no traffic. He said he would back into this pull off on the side of the road, park, and set his watch alarm for ten minutes. He would cross his arms over his steering wheel and lay his head down for his quick nap. Often that would be enough to get him where he was going safely. I am fortunate I do not have a seventy mile commute but any commute when driving fatigued can be dangerous.

Daddy said he also used to pinch himself, which didn't always work. Bathing, whether it be shower, bath, or just washing up in a sink, could often revitalize how you felt enough to get you through. He also said eating things like crackers, popcorn, or chips in small bites could help keep your attention focused. Pulling over and doing jumping jacks could help get your blood flowing. And, of course, staying hydrated had a two fold benefit, helped keep your body healthy and your bladder will keep you awake if you don't empty it.

Daddy can nap anywhere, including between acts at a Kenny Chesney

Concert in Nissan Stadium

Let me also say, Daddy fully admitted these things are not the healthy way to cope with fatigue, long hours, and long stretches. He did not advise any of these long term at all. He was only a daddy giving his daughter advice in case she found herself in a situation where rest was scarce and she had to shoulder on through. Neither daddy nor I advise anyone do these things INSTEAD OF proper rest and recuperation.

Daddy was not a coffee drinker, I think that could have helped some now that I look back. I know many people drink energy drinks, and those have their own health concerns. He wasn't perfect, he never claimed to be. Now as I approach forty myself I see he and momma were just doing their best like all the rest of us. All that to say, hang in there y'all. If you're working long hours/stretches, hang in there. If you're fatigued and not sure how you will go on, hang in there. We are rooting for you.

And last, but never least, Be well, y'all.