Working in healthcare is widely recognized as a highly stressful profession. Caseloads can be overwhelming, and staff resources sometimes fall short. Navigators engage with patients facing stressful, life-changing circumstances, serving as a haven for patients to process a diagnosis, confront challenges and setbacks, and digest difficult news. Even under the best circumstances, many navigators find it difficult to avoid being impacted by the emotional weight of working in a stressful field. To counter this, navigators must find ways to care for themselves despite a busy work environment.
Stress is defined as the biological reaction of the brain and body to adapt to any demands placed upon them. These demands lead to alterations in the body’s natural state and the individual’s environment. The body does not distinguish between different types of stressors—big or small, the body responds in the same way.1 The body combats stress through the “fight or flight” mechanism, a response necessary for early humans who had to prepare for potential threats, such as being chased by a lion.1
When we face stress today, our bodies still prepare us to react in the same way. Stressors trigger the release of adrenaline into the bloodstream, which increases heart rate and blood pressure, heightens energy production, quickens breathing, and prepares the body to react.2 This collective response keeps us alert and ready to tackle challenges. While we no longer regularly confront wild animals, we do encounter daily stressors in various aspects of our lives, including work, home, and relationships. Our stress response equips us to navigate these hurdles.1
Stress is not always bad, and sometimes a stress response is welcome. If a lion really is trying to eat us, then we want that stress response to help us flee. When stress is acute or short-term, it can be managed, and our body can recover to return to baseline. However, with chronic, long-term stress, being in a state of stress response becomes the baseline. This is where stress can become harmful.
While a stressor cannot always be removed, we can learn ways to induce a relaxation response to help teach our body to calm down in the face of chronic stress.1-3 One of the most powerful ways to do this is through practicing mindfulness exercises, which have been found to help reduce blood pressure, cortisol, and heart rate, as well as decrease physiological markers for stress.2
In addition to helping to soothe the nervous system, practicing mindfulness can help to improve focus and attention over time. It also allows for increased awareness, which helps to cultivate an improved sense of present and the ability to react more intentionally to situations that arise.3
While many know that mindfulness is helpful, it can feel daunting to figure out ways to add more to an already busy schedule. But even spending a small amount of time engaging in mindfulness practices can be incredibly beneficial.3 These little moments can add up and help navigators reset between patients and meetings.
Tables 1 and 2 comprise mindfulness and relaxation practices that navigators can fit into small moments throughout the day.
It’s important to note that not every mindfulness practice is right for every person, so it can be beneficial to try them out and choose the ones that work best. It can also be helpful to think of mindfulness as a skill we want to build. As such, we need to practice mindfulness in times of calm so we can better use those skills in times of stress.
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