Help For Burnout - Relationships are Key

Help for Burnout – Relationships are Key

You know you’re a nerd when it’s Friday night and you just finished watching a DVD on physician burnout.

Yes, that’s me. I’ll admit it. And it’s not the only one of its kind in my DVD collection (not sure if I should be revealing this).

Lately in my blogs I have been writing about physician burnout; what it is, what causes it, research on spit and burnout, etc. Enough. One can get burned out on burnout. Time to start talking about how to prevent the problem.

The DVD that consumed my Friday evening was, “Resilient Physicians and Medical Organizations”, featuring psychologist and author, Wayne Sotile, PhD.

Dr. Sotile, who has helped thousands of physicians and their families cope with stress and burnout, reveals what he has found to be a key factor in reducing the risk of burnout:

Relationships – mutually enhancing, positive relationships.

Having a strong family support system, a close circle of friends, harmonious work relationships, and strong community ties, all contribute to an individual’s resiliency in the face of high work demands.

While this seems so obvious – naturally we are happier and more fulfilled when our relationships are strong, the catch is that when we under a lot of stress, our relationships tend to suffer and this can start a downward spiral.

When I reflect on my own career, the time when I was coping the least well with stress was also when my work and personal relationships were sub-optimal.

Knowing that strong, healthy relationships can be protective against burnout, provides an extra incentive to make this a priority in a one’s life.

So maintaining and nurturing strong relationships is key in preventing burnout. What else helps?

Establish Priorities – take time to step back from your busy schedule and look at your life as a whole. What is going well? What do you want to change? What is the relationship between money and time? Ask yourself, “If nothing changes, how will I feel in 10 years? What regrets would I have?”

Self-Care – I know to many this sounds self-indulgent and it’s not what we’re taught, but in order to keep giving to others, you have to replenish yourself. How are you doing with regular exercize, sleep, eating healthy, and personal time? Do you have your own physician? Taking good care of yourself is not a luxury, but a necessity. Here is a link for an upcoming renewal retreat for doctors through the Osler Symposia, May 14-20th.

Protect Your Time – Doctors often have a hard time saying “No.” Your role is to help others and there is so much need out there, as well as social obligations. When your time is requested, instead of immediately committing, you can pause to evaluate your priorities and see if this is a, “Yes! Yes!” as opposed to a, “Well, I suppose I can.”

Find Creative Outlets – after the steep learning curve of training, practice can become fairly routine. Developing new interests or skills can help, such as taking an art or music class, teaching, writing, or participating in a medical mission. A dermatologist I know started teaching a class on skin conditions in popular films, and found a wonderful way to add richness to his career.

Seek Out Emotional Support – Doctors traditionally keep their burdens to themselves, and practicing medicine can be emotionally traumatic. The benefits of being able to share one’s experience in a safe environment cannot be over-estimated. Talking with a trusted spouse, friend, counselor or peer mentor can help. Some cities have physician support groups, or you can start your own or join a confidential online group, through The Heart of Medicine.

Explore Work Options – Do you want to reduce your hours? Stop doing OB or surgery? Take on an administrative role? Get involved in the EHR initiative in your hospital? If you are feeling stagnant, it may be worthwhile to consider redesigning your job. What might breathe new life into your career?

Now, you maybe saying, “I’ve tried to go part-time and my organization says it’s not cost effective!” Or, “Unless the system changes, no amount of touchy-feely unburdening or after hours hobbies is going to do me any good!”

I hear you. Preventing burnout is going to take a village, and a significant part of that village is the healthcare system.

My next blog will be on the role of the healthcare system in helping to prevent burnout.

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Papillion, NE

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Orthopedic Surgeon

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Pathologist

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Colorectal Surgeon

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Emergency Medicine Physician

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Internal Medicine Physician

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Family Medicine

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I had been a practicing Internist for 20 years when I reached a point when I needed to make a serious change in my career path. While I enjoyed seeing patients, I was not satisfied with my life-work balance. My job was taking me away from my family and left me little time and energy to do other things that are important and meaningful to me. I came across Dr. Fork's podcast; The Doctor's Crossing Carpe Diem Podcast, it is such an informative and enjoyable podcast for any physician who wants to do more with their career and life in general. Then I had the pleasure to get career coaching from Heather, it was truly an amazing experience. Heather has broad knowledge of all the different career paths that are available for physicians, she is so insightful and very easy to talk to. She helped me clarify my goals, examine my own mindset and definition of success. Together we developed a clear plan and actionable steps to reach these goals. I eventually made a career transition to a remote non-clinical position that allows me to do meaningful work which aligns with my personal and professional goals and priorities.

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Internal Medicine

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From the very first interaction with Heather, it became abundantly clear that she possessed a systematic approach and a methodology firmly rooted in my focusing on my goals and aspirations. Heather's coaching sessions helped me dismantle limiting beliefs and unearth the capable woman, mother, and physician within me. Under Heather's guidance, I began to dream again. I rediscovered my passion for writing, found the courage to share my stories, and even launched my own coaching practice. Today, I specialize in helping others conquer imposter syndrome and overcome burnout, empowering them to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives. Working with Heather fundamentally shifted my perspective and allowed me to show up authentically in every facet of my life, resulting in a profound sense of fulfillment.

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I sought Heather’s guidance after practicing outpatient internal medicine for many years, as it was getting difficult to balance my role as a clinician while meeting my needs and those of my family. After our first consultation, I felt like I was seen and heard for the first time in my career. Working with Heather helped me identify my strengths, weaknesses, fears, and goals, and ultimately guided me to a non-clinical role that better aligned with my needs and aspirations. I am deeply indebted to Heather for the impact she has had on my personal and professional development. She is one of the most influential people in my life and I continue to seek her guidance years after our initial encounter. She once said that “we are happiest and most successful when we are using our skills and abilities at their highest level.” Heather will help you discover your truth. Thank you for your incredible work and friendship!

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