How do I manage the emotional impact of my work? | Career at Divã

“In my job I have constant contact with people who are suffering, which has affected me emotionally. I love what I do, but I feel like I need guidance on how to better manage this emotional impact. I have already spoken to my boss about this topic, but she told me that it is something common in our profession. What should I, as an employee, understand or practice to feel more balanced? And what can my boss do to create a healthier environment for me and my colleagues who are going through the same situation? Nurse, 28 years old

Work at health sector This inevitably requires facing pain, fear, loss and anguish. It’s part of the routine and no one remains unscathed. Loving what you do does not automatically create emotional protection and often makes the impact even more profound. So when this weight begins to appear, hearing that “this is normal in the profession” may even describe reality, but it does not solve the problem or take care of those who feel it.

For those on the front lines, it is important to recognize that empathy does not mean absorbing everything. Creating small transition rituals between work and personal life helps reduce this emotional build-up. A moment of mindful pause, a walk, a more mindful bath, or even writing about the day may seem like simple actions, but they make a difference when they become consistent.

Research psychological support Prevention is also a form of responsibility towards oneself. In addition, sharing experiences with colleagues who live the same reality reduces isolation and reinforces the fact that asking for help is not an exception, it is a necessity.

On the management side, the normalization of suffering as something inherent to the profession cannot be the outcome of the debate. Leadership is about recognizing reality and, at the same time, creating the conditions necessary for its transformation. A healthier environment begins when there are structured listening spaces, when mental health care is encouraged on an ongoing basis, and when leaders are willing to identify signs of emotional exhaustion within teams. Revising workloads, schedules and expectations is also part of this process, because care without adequate conditions ceases to be a vocation and becomes a risk.

In the health sector, Talking about well-being means strategy, ethics and security. In the end, the logic is simple: there is no caring for others without caring for those who care. Recognizing this does not weaken the profession, it only strengthens it.

Thomas Nader specializes in the areas of HRBP, organizational culture, trans inclusion in the workforce, volunteer work for the LGBTQIA+ community and inclusive selection processes.

>> Send your question, along with your position and age, to: careernodiva@valor.com.br