How many times have you looked forward to a day off work - a nirvana of rest, relaxation, recuperation, leisure, pleasure and la dolce vita?

And instead you ended up just powering through the list of busy work around the house you've been saving up for weeks ...

Catch up on the laundry, clean the house, balance the checkbook, do your taxes, hit the grocery store, mow your lawn, get a haircut ... and fall into a heap at the end of the day feeling no less rested than when you left work yesterday.

That's a crappy day off

Actually it is not a day off at all. It is just another day on a different punch list. It's another day on a different hamster wheel.  And it does not have to be that way.

Here are four steps to transform your days off from catch-up marathons or a haze of simple recuperation -  to true life balance. 

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FOUR STEPS TO A QUALITY DAY OFF

Physician Resilience – a stronger canary is never enough

In my work with thousands of over-stressed physicians and over 175 healthcare organizations, I have learned one lesson over and over -

Resilience training alone is not sufficient to rein in the epidemic of physician burnout.

If you believe like I do that physicians are the canary in the coal mine of medicine.

Then it is clear the epidemic of physician burnout is an indictment of the conditions of the mine, not the resilience of the canary.

The Business Case for Investing in Physician Wellbeing - a Triple Competitive Advantage for Your Organization

In this blog post let's look at what happens when you run physician burnout in reverse. Here's what I mean.

How did Einstein get to be a physician burnout expert?

If you want to lower your stress levels, build a more balanced life and an more Ideal Practice, remember these two quotes from Albert Einstein and there is literally nothing you can't change.

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Einstein Quote #1:

"The definition of insanity is -- doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."

Here is another way to say the same thing: If you always do what you've always done -- you will always get what you've always got.

"The only way to change anything in your life is to take new actions."

Yes it is that simple.

• • Stop venting.
  • Decide what you really want.
  • Take a baby step in that direction.
  • Repeat.

Thank you Albert!

Physician Burnout - how to reach out to a colleague in distress - [VIDEO TRAINING]

If you could save someone's life in a two minute conversation, would you speak up?

The situation I am talking about isn't even really a conversation most of the time. It is just you, caring enough to ask a question. If all it took was a question to save a person's life, would you ask it?

Would you ask even if it feels awkward, takes what feels like courage, might make them uncomfortable and you are not sure what to do if they reach back to you for support?

The Battery Fallacy is one of the great myths of Physician Burnout. 

The Battery Fallacy

When I deliver a training at a Med Staff Meeting, I always ask, "Raise your hand if you have ever said, 'My batteries are run down, I just need a recharge'. All the hands go up. 

The batteries-run-down is the most common metaphor for burnout and it is TOTALLY INACCURATE.

The Battery Theory of physician energy management is a myth, a fallacy.

It is a blind spot.

It is a barrier to recognizing and preventing physician burnout. 

Our work with over 40,000 doctors in the last 12 years has revealed a working model of physician energy that provides:

An accurate representation of energy balance in doctors

The energetic source of the symptoms of burnout 

Burnout treatment and prevention mechanisms you can put into place today

In my work with over stressed physicians I have noticed a consistent misunderstanding of the pathophysiology of burnout – the hidden methods physician burnout uses to sap your energy and steal your passion for medicine.

In this post I will show you how Physician Burnout does it’s dirty work.

Once you clearly understand how physician burnout operates, you will begin to see the simple ways you can keep the normal stresses of being a doctor — from crossing the line into threatening your career, your marriage and even your life.