---
title: Stop Physician Burnout the Limits of Positive Psychology
description: Positive Psychology is a one trick pony when your objective is to stop physician burnout
image: https://www.thehappymd.com/hubfs/images/2020%20IMAGES/2020%20BLOG%20IMAGES/positive-psychology-physician-burnout-lipstick-on-a-pig_opt150W.jpg
---

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## **The Creative Destruction of Physician Burnout **

[![prevent doctor burnout matrix](https://hubspot-no-cache-na2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/263814/da1e787d-095f-4485-9d4d-9a9bc4195d86.png)](https://hubspot-cta-redirect-na2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/redirect/263814/da1e787d-095f-4485-9d4d-9a9bc4195d86)

# [Stop Physician Burnout the Limits of Positive Psychology](https://www.thehappymd.com/blog/stop-physician-burnout-the-limits-of-positive-psychology)

Posted by [Dike Drummond MD](https://www.thehappymd.com/blog/author/dike-drummond-md)

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## [![physician-burnout-positive-psychology-lipstick-on-a-pig-dike-drummond](https://www.thehappymd.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/2020%20IMAGES/2020%20BLOG%20IMAGES/positive-psychology-physician-burnout-lipstick-on-a-pig_opt150W.jpg?width=150&name=positive-psychology-physician-burnout-lipstick-on-a-pig_opt150W.jpg)](https://www.thehappymd.com/quadruple-aim-corporate-support-services-hub)**Positive Psychology is not a Physician Wellness Strategy - it is a single useful tool, just like Lipstick on a Pig**

**Even if you put the most expensive lipstick on a cute little Hampshire pig, it is still a pig.**

 

There are times when [positive psychology is an extremely useful, powerful and effective body of knowledge](https://www.thehappymd.com/blog/physician-self-care-tools-in-the-time-of-coronavirus), yet focusing only on *the nature of my inner dialog* won't fix a system where patient and information flow are fundamentally inefficient - or perhaps even [FUBAR](https://www.thehappymd.com/blog/physician-burnout-is-a-healthcare-leadership-clusterfuck).

 

**Telling your people *Positive Psychology is all you need*** to turn this around - is wrong, cruel and can only make things worse for everyone - leaders, clinicians, staff and patients.  

 

============  
**Build a System-Wide Physician Wellness Strategy**  
**Our [Corporate Support Services are HERE](https://www.thehappymd.com/quadruple-aim-corporate-support-services-hub)**  
============

**Leaders ... head's up here.  **

## Do not confuse Positive Psychology with a Burnout Prevention Strategy.

- Do not impose a positive psychology intervention as a *solution to burnout* or you will only make things worse. (there is [no solution to burnout by the way](https://www.thehappymd.com/blog/physician-burnout-is-not-a-problem))
- The complex issues that lead to physician burnout cannot be adequately addressed by a "turn your frown upside down" intervention.
- Your people deserve better.
- Your leadership role demands you care more, do more, lead more than that.  

==========  
This is Blog Post #340  
Our Complete Blog Library [is Here](https://www.thehappymd.com/blog/all)  
==========

**REAL WORLD EXAMPLE:  
**  
**[![positive-psychology-limits-in-prevention-of-physician-burnout-OPT200W](https://www.thehappymd.com/hs-fs/hubfs/images/2020%20IMAGES/2020%20BLOG%20IMAGES/positive-psychology-limits-in-prevention-of-physician-burnout-OPT200W.jpg?width=200&name=positive-psychology-limits-in-prevention-of-physician-burnout-OPT200W.jpg)](https://www.thehappymd.com/quadruple-aim-corporate-support-services-hub)I was talking to a senior leadership team last month about how they believe *optimizing the work environment for their people* is their core leadership principle. **

 

(NOTE: this is what the leadership team is saying. I have no way to know if their people feel this stated intention from their positions in the front line.)

 

**They do not have a corporate physician wellness strategy at this time** and were looking at options for a "template" they could follow. 

**They had chosen to consult an organization whose sole intervention was Positive Psychology training for the physicians.** They were wondering if TheHappyMD.com had anything more compelling to offer.

 

I pointed out that their chosen consultants are a one trick pony in a situation where dual strategies are required. We already know, the only way to create meaningful traction with a group of employed physicians is with [a pair of strategies, executed in tandem](https://www.thehappymd.com/blog/prevent-physician-burnout-simply-twin-strategies).

 

I advised them that this decision could only make things worse - that it is almost impossible to announce a top down initiative like this without sounding like you believe physician burnout is just "in your head". 

 

Positive psychology is incredibly important, extremely valuable as a coping mechanism for the individual physician. And it is not a physician wellness program for an organization.

- It is a component of mindfulness that allows you to tolerate difficult circumstances
- But it does not give the leadership team a pass on actually creating a better workplace and more supportive culture.

> **I asked them to consider one of our programs designed to:**
> 
> **1) Change the culture** - Build a Culture of Support ("We've got your back")
> 
> **2) Build functioning systems** - Patient and Information flow that works and the staffing to get the job done
> 
> **3) Complete their medical education** and teach them how to recognize and prevent burnout
> 
> **AND **  
> **Give them some practical Positive Psychology tools.**
> 
> IN THAT ORDER

============

 

**Here is my email to that CMO after our conversation:**

> Hey Dr. X,
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for getting back to me and I have to let you know *this decision is a clear strategic error* - based on my ten years of experience with 175 organizations and training over 40,000 doctors to recognize and prevent physician burnout.  
> 
>  
> 
> What is the body of experience that the Positive Medicine crew bases their recommendations on - not the research papers, their direct experience with groups of employed physicians?   
> 
>  
> 
> If you take this action, here is the most likely impression your people will take away: "*Corporate has hired a bunch of shrinks to tell me I am not positive enough*"  
> 
>  
> 
> I don't know these people, don't have a beef with them. What I do know is *throwing positive psychology through non-physician consultants at a group of doctors is not a solution to the burnout issue by any means*. They will talk ABOUT stress and teach people to look at the bright side - full stop.
> 
>  
> 
> Just look at their blog posts on this page of their website and imagine your front line providers' response to this pablum.
> 
>  
> 
> Then look here:
> 
> [https://www.thehappymd.com/blog/all](https://www.thehappymd.com/blog/all) 
> 
>  
> 
> That's enough for now and this is wrong on a number of levels.  If you feel like this is the way you want to check this box, *we are clearly not on the same page*. And if you would like to talk about this further, I am open to that conversation for sure. 
> 
>  
> 
> My goal is to help your providers in the trenches, every day, make real changes to lower stress, build more life balance and a more Ideal Practice. THAT is how you get happy. It is not a "turn your frown upside down" re-framing exercise. Lives are at stake here. 
> 
>  
> 
> You know where to find me when you want traction and impact.
> 
>  
> 
> Have a mellow week, 
> 
> Dike
> 
> ============ 

============  
**Build a System-Wide Physician Wellness Strategy**  
**Our [Corporate Support Services are HERE](https://www.thehappymd.com/quadruple-aim-corporate-support-services-hub)**  
============

**  
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT:**

- What is your organization's Burnout Prevention Strategy as best you can tell?
- Does your organization provide training in Positive Psychology?
- What positive psychology tools do you use in your daily life/practice?

 

 Tags: [stop physician burnout](https://www.thehappymd.com/blog/topic/stop-physician-burnout)

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