Dealing With Burnout

I never thought that I had experienced burnout, when I was asked about it a few years ago. I love what I do. Sure, I have felt stressed and overburdened at times, but I didn’t think the term burnout applied to me. I never felt like I needed to quit my job or leave medicine altogether. But that’s where I was wrong. I had experienced burnout, but I just didn’t recognize it.

I had always pictured a stereotypical picture of burnout in my head. A frazzled person, unable to juggle it all – the charting, the kids, the patients – who quits it all to live a life of quiet contemplation and reflection in the woods.

But, here’s the thing – burnout doesn’t just mean feeling stressed. People who are burnt out suffer from a loss of compassion and empathy. And, this was the light bulb moment for me. When I heard that definition – then I realized that in fact, I had suffered from burnout, as recently as this past year, while working to keep our clinic afloat during quarantine.

In this episode of the podcast, I detail 4 actionable steps you can take to help identify signs of burnout and manage it. Don’t worry, this isn’t about going to the spa or getting a massage, because those types of activities might not give you the mental relief that high achieving women crave.