Challenge Tips

We all need a little help sometimes. Now that you’ve worked your way through this challenge and created your burnout-busting toolkit, it’s time to share that wisdom with a peer.

But before you do, there's a powerful skill that can make all the difference in supporting your colleagues: Active listening.

Active listening goes beyond hearing what someone is saying; it's about fully engaging with them, both verbally and non-verbally. By mastering this skill, you can provide invaluable support to your peers, especially during times of stress and burnout.

Your Action for Today

Practice these techniques to hone your active listening skills and become a supportive ally to your colleagues in need:

• Suspend judgment: Listen without imposing your own biases or opinions. This creates a safe space for the person to express themselves to you.
• Use verbal and non-verbal cues: Show your attentiveness through nods, affirming phrases, and an open body posture, encouraging the speaker to share.
• Avoid interrupting: Allow the speaker to finish expressing themselves before responding. Try not to interject with your own thoughts.
• Paraphrase and reflect: Summarize the speaker's main points to demonstrate your understanding and validate their thoughts and feelings.
• Ask clarifying questions: Seek clarification respectfully to deepen your understanding and show genuine interest in their perspective.
• Control your responses: Resist the urge to jump in with solutions or advice. Focus on supporting the speaker and helping when they're ready.

Remember, being an active listener is about being present AND actively engaging with and supporting your peers. If we all did this for each other, imagine how many burdens we could ease. Imagine how much burnout we could prevent.

For tools to help you confront and recover from workplace stress, check out the American Nurses Foundation’s Nurse Well-Being: Building Peer and Leadership Support Program course preview module (.75 CNE). The full program curriculum will be available to nurses for free in the fall of 2024.

How do you feel after completing this 10-day challenge? Share your updates with us in our private Facebook group, or on Twitter, or Instagram - Tag us with #healthynurse!

Missed Day 9? Catch up here.

IMPORTANT: If you have thoughts of suicide or self-harm, call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988.

When you are in crisis, there is help available. You are not alone. Make the call.

Burnout can be a serious issue. Contact your health care or mental health provider if you have any concerns.


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