Written by: Dr. Tomi Mitchell, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Given the multitude of stressors that physicians face, we need to find ways to take care of ourselves and watch for indications of burnout. Unfortunately, we cannot continue to take care of others if we are not taking care of ourselves. For example, we often put our care last on our long to-do list, which has negative consequences over time. The current pandemic has highlighted the effects of physicians not routinely practicing self-care.
Let's look at some strategies that you can implement to reduce the stressors in your life. These strategies have been effective for other physicians and me. I encourage you to start adding them to your life and take the opportunity to improve your wellness.
Work
The first step to reducing stress is identifying what you can and cannot control at work. For example, the list of frustrations physicians face that stem from our current health care system is quite long, and the lack of control at work is high on everyone's list.
As you systematically and thoughtfully list your stressors, highlight those things you can change. If possible, avoid wasting your time and energy by dwelling on what you cannot control. Brooding about the unchangeable leads to feelings of helplessness and worsens the symptoms of burnout. Instead, focus on the changes you can make.
Two significant sources of stress for many physicians are their schedules and staffing. A plan packed with patients and no flexibility usually leads to running behind all day, which is stressful for all parties involved. Instead, work with your office manager and staff to add time between patients or at the end of the day. This will allow for the completion of documentation and administrative responsibilities. Then, add a few minutes to each patient visit or perhaps schedule in a mid-morning or mid-afternoon. Some practices prepare a two-hour lunch period with no patient visits to have lunch, do paperwork, have team meetings, and regroup for the rest of the workday. It is essential to note that this type of schedule might mean that not every patient can be seen on every given day, and we need to come to terms with this.
Staff issues are another area of high stress for many practices. Suppose you have staff members who are not doing their job or are doing it ineffectively. In this case, you have two options: you can either continue to work with them to create a plan to improve their job performance, or the working relationship might need to be terminated. This may sound harsh, but we need to have a team that will make life easier, and optimal patient care also depends on having reliable and productive team players. After ten years of clinical practice, and business ownership, I had to accept that it's best not to extend a working relationship longer than necessary.
Restorative Activities
One of the best ways to decrease stress is to find therapeutic activities that you can do on your own. Exercise, sleep, hobbies, and artistic outlets that can reduce your stress and lessen the symptoms of burnout. For example, some people find massage, acupuncture, or meditation quite helpful in stress management. There is evidence for increasing a sense of wellness and can make a significant difference in how you feel.
It is essential to choose genuinely therapeutic activities that restore you. I find that spending time with family is restorative. Playing with my children and teaching them new skills makes me happy. The time spent together reminds me why I work hard. My family's love and the joy they bring to my life reduce my stress considerably. For example, French philosopher and essayist Michel de Montaigne wrote, "The greatest joys in life are happy memories, which you can revisit at any moment therefore, the great business of life is to create as for them as possible." I certainly try to do that with my family.
Unfortunately, burnout often strains relationships with our spouses and children and taking our stress out on our family is not the answer. Still, it happens too frequently, you must be intentional about building good relationships at home.
Developing connections with other physicians is beneficial as well. Unfortunately, relatively few people outside of medicine genuinely understand what we have gone through to get to this point in our careers. Talking with colleagues can also give you ideas to improve your practice or grow your carer contrarywise. It is also a good idea to make connections outside of medicine to provide you with perspective on the world outside of the hospital or clinic.
Spirituality
Spiritual beliefs and religious practices are highly personal and sensitive topics in our current political climate e however, multiple research studies show health benefits to practices such as prayer and meditation. Therefore, we should not avoid talking about the importance of our spiritual lives regarding burnout.
For example, a study of ER physicians in Massachusetts looked at the impact of spirituality on burnout was measured using the standard Maslach Burnout Inventory. Negative coping behaviors like smoking, drinking, and drug use was self-reported from those doctors who responded, negative behaviors were less likely among those with a religious affinity. These results mirror other research of the general population that shows less depression and lower rates of suicide in those who attend religious services regularly.
Life Philosophy and Attitude
Many of us do not spend much time thinking about our life philosophy, but doing so can reduce stress. Instead, we should approach life that incorporates a positive outlook, identifies and acts on our values, and stresses a balance between personal and professional life. Such a philosophy will make us better people in general, but it will decrease the stress from a lacking life purpose.
Your life philosophy may include giving back to the world around you; generosity has been shown to have benefits on you psychological. Working on or toward something bigger than yourself gives a life purpose and meaning are often lacking in burned-out physicians. It is also essential to find meaning in your work and incorporate that into your life philosophy. Like most things in life, medicine has its good and bad aspects but, fortunately, our attitude about it is entirely up to you. Attitude is a choice. Psychologist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl wrote, "The last of our human freedoms is to choose our attitude in any given circumstances." This makes sense if we allow our situations to dictate our attitude or emotions.
Regardless of what problems we face in healthcare, it is important to remember that we are essential to the most important and meaningful aspect of medical practice—the patient encounter. We reap the rewards that come from relieving suffering and restoring health to others. Keeping that perspective can help us better manage the other stressors we face.
Fortunately, we can control our attitude. This is not always easy. Still, with determined effort, it is possible. However, we must make a conscious effort to catch and correct ourselves whenever we start feeling pessimistic about a situation. Over time, and with sustained and conscious effort, we can together, eliminate burnout.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Dr. Tomi Mitchell, MD, is a leader in the health & wellness industry, known for her advocacy for social issues, including health reform. She believes in the whole person's approach to life and health. Rather than resorting to quick fixes, she gets to the root of problems by taking the time to understand her client's emotional, physical, mental, environmental, financial, spiritual, and social health. She believes these factors affect individuals' behaviors and beliefs about themselves and others. Dr. Tomi Mitchell believes that people feel lost or overwhelmed when there is a loss of balance, so she takes such a holistic approach with each client's situation.
Dr. Tomi Mitchell has appeared in many publications, including but not limited to Thrive Global, Fox, NBC, CBS, Global News, CBS & many other news outlets. She has her own blog & leads two ClubHouse clubs, and has been a guest speaker numerous times.
She is a game-changer, and she gets her clients' results and refuses to compromise her integrity by sugar-coating issues. Using over 10 years as a family practitioner and certified life & health coach, she is able to help her clients create transformational, long-lasting results!
