▸ Find meaning in your work. “This sounds kind of trite, but it is absolutely true,” Dr. Boisaubin said.
“Think back to why you went into medicine and what aspects of it you found most valuable. Most studies suggest that the majority of physicians enjoy their [doctor-] patient relationships most, even more than their technical skills or other achievements.” Just finding the time to spend more than 7 minutes with a patient seems to be refreshing to many physicians, he said.
▸ Tame technology. Learn to turn off the cell phones, beepers, and your personal computer when you're not on call, advised Dr. Richard Swenson, a physician and researcher based in Menomonie, Wis. “The best thing to remember about time-saving technology is that it doesn't save time,” he said. “It compresses time, devours time. Physicians who are on call to the universe 24/7 for their entire lives are not going to survive the experience. We've never had the level of accessibility that we have today. So they're going to have to learn how to find the off switch [and] not [check] e-mail at 2 o'clock in the morning.”
The fallout from this 24/7 mentality is so bad that record numbers of people are checking into hotels in their own hometowns just to get away for the day. “At first, I was really annoyed by this, but then I thought, 'do what you have to do,'” Dr. Swenson said. “For some people, this could be the difference between burnout and survivability: the ability to find a stability zone that you can go to. Maybe you fish. Maybe it's a cabin or some place like that.”
▸ Learn to say no when you're feeling stretched. “Physicians have to have well-defined boundaries,” Dr. Swenson said. “It's not about selfishness; it's about self-care.”
▸ Find time for yourself. Dr. Campbell said his father had no hobbies. However, “I do,” he said. “I like to play the guitar. I have a Harley-Davidson motorcycle that I ride all over the place. I love photography. I'm also active in [my] church.”
Once a week Dr. Boisaubin blocks out about an hour and a half to attend a noontime yoga class near his office. “The idea is to be active and do something … that you enjoy or [that] can produce relaxation for you,” he said. “These are modest things people can achieve. No one can turn their life around dramatically in a short period of time. I usually say, 'pick one thing and try to stick with it.' If you can't even do that, then you probably need some professional help.”
A Doctoring Mom Of Six Offers Tips
Dr. Moskwinski knows several physicians who have been bothered by work-related burnout in their lives at one time or another.
“It seems to occur most often after you have been in practice for 10 years or so,” said Dr. Moskwinski. And, “it seems to occur when physicians are either unhappy with their practice as it is or are burning the candle from both ends.”
She said that she has known of burned-out colleagues “who nearly resent their patients and practice because of their own unhappiness. This is a key aspect.”
Dr. Moskwinski was close to feeling burned out in her first job, but then she changed jobs and was fine. “Mostly when I feel burnout, I am doing too much or not getting quality time at home with my family,” she said. “At those times, I need to step back and say no to people.”
She also stays grounded by cultivating and maintaining interests outside of medicine. When her children were young, she made time to sew, “one of my hobbies that I love,” she said. “I was a Cubmaster for Boy Scouts and really enjoyed doing that with my boys, and I worked on the school board.”
Her favorite current “hobby” is her post as president of the National Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs Inc. (her two oldest daughters are identical twins). “It is fulfilling helping others with bereavement issues, research, and support, and it is my 'second life' outside of medicine,” she said.
Dr. Moskwinski offered this advice for physicians feeling burned out: “Take a hard look at your hours and time commitments and make sure they are balanced, not overloaded,” she said. “Make sure what you are doing is something you really want to be doing. Another key is to find some fun in your day-to-day practice. Get to know your patients as persons.”