Is the Affordable Care Act Affecting the Amount of Stress in your Life?

medical-563427_1920The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is designed to improve access to healthcare for millions of Americans. However, this act is putting a lot of strain on healthcare systems which aren’t ready for the influx of millions of new patients.

Why Might the ACA Be Causing Stress?

The Affordable Care Act is a massive change in how healthcare works in this country. With massive changes come massive upheavals. According to statistics, 17.6 million people now have access to health care that they didn’t before. This is incredible. However, it means more work for healthcare professionals. As millions of people have access to better health than ever, the stresses and pains of coping with this new system are starting to wear down the healthcare professionals that are making the ACA happen.

How To Know If You’re Feeling the Weight of the Affordable Care Act

Overworking yourself could be killing you.  One in three employees report an increase in stress at home, work or both since the ACA went into effect. If you work in the health industry, you might think that you’re on top of your health, that you can deal with it and that there is nothing to worry about.

The thing with stress that makes it so dangerous is that it creeps up on you. It makes you think that what you’re experiencing is normal, and your body adjusts to the new stresses by blocking them out as opposed to dealing with them.

You need to take an active approach to recognizing and eliminating stress. It can be hard if you’re working longer hours. If you feel tired constantly, it isn’t just the extra half an hour you put on the end of your shift – it is your body reacting to stress.

If tempers in your workplace are constantly frayed, then that’s a sure sign you’ll need to talk with your staff about the stress that they’re under.

Remember, this process will save yourself. It will save your company. It will save your staff, and their families. It can save lives.

How To Solve The Problems You’re Facing

There’s no short answer to the question of “How do you cope with added stress?” The Affordable Care Act has changed things, and it looks like there’s no going back.

Delegating responsibilities and spreading them out evenly over your team is important. Depending on your department, you might want to try automating some of the tasks: For instance, you could look into HR software, like that offered by Bamboo HR. Streamlining and learning about project management can help the flow of information and traffic through your company.

Of course, the best way to deal with stress biologically is to limit the effect it can have on you. Make sure that your diet is in check, you’re sleeping enough, you’re exercising and most importantly – you’re taking time to de-stress at the end of a work day and on your days off. The body is adaptable, so it will get used to the new system, but you have to bend it gently and not break it.