Asking patients and colleagues how they’re really doing is part of the job, every single day. This Mental Health Month, it’s worth asking yourself the same question. Nurses and midwives aren’t immune to mental health challenges – the pace, the responsibility and the unpredictability of the work can wear on anyone. The same instincts that make us good at caring for others can also make us slow to notice when we need help ourselves.
Know you’re not alone
Mental health isn’t just the absence of a diagnosis. It’s about how we think, feel and cope day to day – how we manage stress, stay connected and get through what’s in front of us. One in five Australians will experience symptoms of mental illness in any given year, and almost half of us will experience a mental illness at some point in our lives. Many people never seek support, and in caring professions those barriers can be even higher – we’re just not used to receiving care – we are used to giving it.
Notice where you are on the continuum
Your mental health changes – it’s on a continuum. At one end you’re flourishing – feeling positive, connected and able to manage what comes your way. At the other you can feel drained, disconnected or unable to cope. Most of us move back and forth along this continuum depending on what’s happening in our lives and work. Noticing where you currently sit is the first, and often hardest, step – especially when you’re used to being the one who checks on everyone else.
Build joy into the everyday
Protecting your mental health isn’t only about managing what’s hard. Small, deliberate moments of joy, such as time with people you love, a hobby, a walk or a laugh, genuinely buffer against stress and build emotional resilience. It’s easy to let these slip when work is demanding, but they’re not indulgent extras. They’re part of how we stay well enough to keep doing work that matters.
Talk to someone if you’re struggling
Some of us are coping with low mood, dark thoughts, or just not feeling like ourselves for a while. That’s more common among nurses and midwives than many realise, and it isn’t a sign of weakness.
Please reach out if this is you.
Talking to someone doesn’t put your career at risk; staying silent only adds to the weight.
You are not unprofessional for needing help.
Check where you stand
This Mental Health Month, try our self-health check. See how you’re really doing – do you feel drained more often than not, or struggle to switch off? Pay attention to these signs and think about what they mean. Reaching out can be the first step to doing something about them.
Need to talk?
NMHPA: 1800 001 060
www.nursemidwifehpa.org.au
If you are in immediate danger, call 000. For 24/7 crisis support, call Nurse and Midwife Support on 1800 667 877, Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.
References:
- Australia’s mental health system: An overview, 2024, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
- Mental illness and well-being: The foundations of the dual continua model, by G.J Westerholf, 2009, Journal of Health and Social Behaviour
