A recent survey of physicians found that 2 in every 5 said they felt burned out while 3 in every 20 felt depressed. It’s no secret that the medical profession is not only highly demanding on the physician’s time and energy but also the array of horrific situations doctors have to deal with regularly can be deeply traumatizing.
Burnout is gradually reaching epidemic levels in the healthcare profession as more and more physicians buckle under the weight of their stressful work environments. Fortunately, it’s not a lost cause. Here are a number of practical ways doctors can avoid burnout.
1. Regular Exercise and Healthy Diet
Physicians spend the better part of their careers advising patients to exercise regularly and eat healthy. Unfortunately, doctors themselves can get caught up in their hectic work schedule and fail to pay attention to the need for exercise and a balanced diet.
The benefit of regular exercise and good diet is not just physical wellness but more importantly for burnout, it improves emotional wellbeing and is a powerful stress reliever. No matter how busy you are, always make time for regular exercise as a top priority. If necessary, partner with a friend that will help you stick to your exercise routine even on those days you don’t feel like it.
2. Spend Time with Family and Friends
Social support and emotional connections are a critical component of self-care. Take time to bond with friends and family. When physicians start to experience burnout, they become mentally exhausted and may eventually sink into depression. One of the early warning signs of impending depression is withdrawal from loved ones.
This isolation leads to a vicious cycle as the physician starves themselves from the connections that would actually pull them out of the pit of despair. Don’t leave family time up to chance. Schedule and adhere to it without compromise.
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3. Know What You Can and Cannot Control
The list of dysfunction and frustration in the healthcare system is fairly long. Often, it is these things that are at the root of doctor burnout. Ergo, thoughtfully and systematically develop a list of all the things at your workplace that make your job difficult. Next, separate the items in the list into those you can control and those you can do nothing about.
Focus your energies on righting the things within your control and condition your mind to live with those you cannot. Note that some of the things you cannot control may be unique to your current employer. In this case, looking for a new job can help. We’d recommend to see available positions in this field and check up how stands the situation on the market.
4. Set Realistic Goals
The medical profession is primarily about caring for others. Unlike businesses solely driven by profit, the work of a private hospital or doctor has a strong altruism angle to it and is not just about making money.
That being said, doctors have to have targets in certain respects e.g. the average amount of time they spend with a patient. If they set or agree to an unrealistic target, this will only increase their stress levels. Instead, they must develop or agree to goals that ensure they can execute their work within realistic timelines.
5. Get Professional Help
Doctors are caregivers and are not used to being the ones receiving assistance. Seeking psychological help is sometimes viewed as a sign of personal weakness thus leaving many physicians suffering in silence.
However, failing to take heed to the early warning signs of doctor burnout only worsens the situation and eventually leads to more serious outcomes such as depression, broken relationships, substance abuse, dependence, deterioration in job performance, workplace conflict, and joblessness.
If you notice an increase in your alcohol intake as a way of coping with rising stress, are finding it hard to relate with colleagues, are increasingly in a bad mood or are unable to sleep well, it’s time to ask for help.
The wide prevalence of physician burnout is a statement in itself that this isn’t a problem that’s easily dealt with. That however doesn’t mean doctors should succumb to hopelessness. The key to keeping burnout at bay is identifying it early and starting to take countermeasures before it spirals out of control.
