Work Life Balance for Physicians – the power of “Scheduled Spontaneity”

The two prime directives we learn in our medical education:
The Patient Comes First
and Never Show Weakness
virtually guarantee work will always come out on top. 

Work Life Balance is a task only you can accomplish. You must force the issue. Make it happen.

Fortunately the tools for this task are simple and the weekly life balancing process only takes a few minutes.

Physician Burnout - Who will Save Us?

Let's talk about what to do when you finally realize you are on your own, that no one and nothing is coming to rescue you.

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In most burnout blog posts and comments on the internet, physicians do the same thing - blame, justify and complain about the work stresses we are under.

• Our struggles and frustrations are real
• Our concerns are 100% legitimate
• And yet pointing fingers and playing the victim will only keep you stuck DEEP in Einstein's Insanity Trap

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Learn More:
235 Proven Tools for Your Burnout Prevention Strategy
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The latest survey shows over 60% of doctors suffering from symptomatic burnout on any given office day. New levels of work stress seem to pile on each week. We all daydream of a lifeline, a rescue, a refuge, a break.

It is as if we are locked high in the castle tower, at the mercy of our evil captors - EMR, MOC, Preauths, RVU production quotas, the Call Center is a mess, and my Inbox is overflowing like a plugged toilet. Surely someone has dispatched a knight in shining armor to free us from this torment.

All of these concerns are true and valid AND understand one thing ...

Complaining and dreaming of a rescue is Playing the Victim - Pure and Simple

There is no one and nothing coming to save you

This yearning only distracts you from saving yourself

Let me set a framework for addressing burnout effectively - the straightest path to meaningful change in your work day and your organization.

So you can release the urge to blame, justify and complain,
hear that little voice calling you to take back your practice,
and know how to get started. 

Physician Burnout Vs. The Bottom Line: The Epic Battle

The wave of consolidation sweeping healthcare in the US is causing wholesale collapse of private practice in many markets. Physicians are trading in their practices for employee status in rapidly growing provider networks usually based on a local hospital system.

Let me show you how this move sets up an invisible Battle that will determine your quality of life … and how to restore Balance as an employee physician.

The Heart of the Healer Physician Wellness Retreat was an amazing time on Orcas Island over our four days together in September

We worked on our Ideal Life and Ideal Practice Descriptions and created BIG and Little Bucket Lists ... with yoga and meditation in the mornings and whale watching and mountain hiking in the afternoons. All in the best summer weather of the year.

Here is a video of the cherry on top of the whole experience - our Float Plane flight back to Civilization

Physician Burnout Podcast

I was the speaker today in a wide ranging 30 minute conversation about the state of physician burnout in healthcare and what can be done about it. We had fun and came to the conclusion that this information needs to be a core curriculum component at the AAMC.

Physician Burnout and When Being Smart Gets In Your Way

In this article let me show you how being smart can completely obstruct your happiness and what to do to get around this thinking person's roadblock to a better life. Head's up ... the more you are surprised by the last sentence, the more I encourage you to read this article.

Let me show you the truth in this statement:
"The most powerful things in life are simple actions ... not complicated thoughts."

Physician Burnout and How To Break Out of Survival Mode

There is a tipping point when doctors are under stress … it happens silently, slowly and when you pass through this threshold your downward spiral will frequently accelerate.

I am talking about when you drop into Survival Mode.
When you unconsciously begin to focus your energy 100% on simply getting through the day and dragging your exhausted butt home.

Learn Physician Burnout Pathophysiology and 2 Main Prevention Methods in this brief video