NIOSH Training for Nurses on Shift Work and Long Work Hours

Strategies to Cope with High Demands from Work and Home

Demands from work and home that exceed your energy and resources can lead to excessive stress. To develop and implement effective coping strategies, the Nursing Process¹³ provides an excellent problem-solving guide to assess your situation, diagnose your problem, develop a plan for improving your situation, make changes, and evaluate your situation after the changes.

1. Assessment

Assess the demands on your time and energy at home and work. Think through realistically the time needed for each responsibility. It might be helpful to write on a calendar the time needed for all your responsibilities, to see where you are overcommitted. How much time do you spend at work, including time spent commuting? How much time is spent on home responsibilities?

Assess your capabilities and your limitations. How much time, energy, and resources do you have available? Consider not only the responsibilities connected with family, friends, and work, but also responsibilities to yourself.

• What do you need to do to maintain your mental and physical health?
• How much sleep do you need to feel well rested?
• What is your physical and emotional health?
• Do you have significant financial resources and support from family and friends, and a non-demanding home environment? These types of resources can be helpful.
• How much effort is needed to care for your children and spouse or partner?