Staying Afloat to Be a Steady Lifeline for Others

Recently, I asked one of my supervisees, a thoughtful and dedicated leader, a question that she found surprisingly helpful. I wondered if you might find it useful too:

What helps you stay afloat, to ensure you can be a steady lifeline for your clients and colleagues?

We know that the demands of healthcare and human services are relentless. Many of us are growing weary of hearing about burnout and overwhelm yet they remain real and persistent professional challenges.

Wellbeing is a collective responsibility shared between individuals, workplaces, and leadership.

• Healthcare systems must fund services adequately to ensure they meet the needs of the community in ways that are aligned with evidence based practice.

• Workplaces and leaders must create psychologically safe environments, model healthy boundaries, and ensure workloads are fair.

• Individuals also have an important role: to recognise what is within our control, take proactive steps to sustain energy, and seek support when needed.

We cannot “out-resilience” a toxic workplace. Nor should we be expected to. However, we can strengthen the ways we stay afloat so we can continue to do meaningful, caring work without losing ourselves in the process.

Staying Afloat: What Makes the Difference

The image of staying afloat is a useful one. When the waters around us become rough, what keeps us buoyant? What allows us to continue supporting others without being pulled under ourselves?

Check your anchor

Your anchor is your sense of purpose and values; it is what connects you to why your work matters. When stress rises, returning to your professional values can stabilise you. Ask yourself: Who benefits from my efforts today? This small shift helps re-orient from pressure to meaning.

Lighten your load

No one stays afloat for long carrying unnecessary weight. Identify where you might be over-functioning such as taking on extra tasks, responsibility, or extra worry about the things we can’t control isn’t sustainable. Delegating, setting limits, or simply pausing to reassess helps restore balance.

Use your breath as a life jacket

In turbulent moments, the breath is one of the most immediate tools for regulation. Slow, deliberate breathing signals safety to the nervous system, helping you regain clarity and calm.

Reach for connection when the waters rise

Relationships are protective. Talking things through in supervision, debriefing with colleagues, or seeking mentoring helps distribute emotional weight. Shared understanding lightens the load.

Notice the tide before it turns

Self-leadership includes recognising early signs of strain, such as irritability, fatigue, or withdrawal, and responding early. Scheduling recovery time, even small pauses, prevents overwhelm from deepening.

Keep your boundaries watertight

Boundaries protect your energy and capacity to care. Clarify where your professional responsibility ends and where self-care begins.

In your workday consider,

• What are the anchors that keep me grounded in my work?

• Where might I need to lighten my load?

• Who supports me when I feel close to sinking?

• What early signs tell me it is time to rest or reset?

Sustaining ourselves in demanding work is not about perfection or endless endurance. It is about recognising what keeps us steady - our anchors, boundaries, and connections - and strengthening them before the waves rise too high.

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