How Do You Balance Medical Career Demands With Personal Well-Being?
Doctors Magazine
How Do You Balance Medical Career Demands With Personal Well-Being?
In the high-stakes field of medicine, maintaining personal well-being is as crucial as professional success. We've gathered six insights from medical professionals, including Plastic Surgeons and a Physician Assistant, offering their best tips. From accepting help to nurturing hobbies and relationships, discover how these experts balance the demands of their careers with personal health.
- Accept Help and Integrate Work-Life
- Schedule Regular 'Me Time'
- Launch a Creative Side Hustle
- Flip Feelings for Positive Reflection
- Establish Boundaries and Take PTO
- Nurture Hobbies and Relationships
Accept Help and Integrate Work-Life
Balancing the demands of a medical career with personal well-being requires accepting help from others, whether it's family, friends, or hired professionals, because no one can do it alone. When possible, it's best to set a schedule for yourself in order to limit the amount of time you spend working. For example, I always prioritize blocking off early evenings to consistently spend quality time with my two young children and husband.
I also find the concept of 'balance' somewhat misleading. As I see it, work and personal well-being are not mutually exclusive. Being fulfilled at work contributes to my overall well-being, while taking time to practice self-care, like exercising and meditation, helps me stay focused and centered, ultimately making me a better physician. My tip for others is to integrate your work and personal life in a way that allows both areas to enhance one another.
Schedule Regular 'Me Time'
Balancing the demands of my medical career with personal well-being has been essential for sustaining both professional excellence and personal fulfillment. I prioritize time management and self-care strategies that align with my passion for a healthy lifestyle. One effective tip I've found is to schedule dedicated 'me time' regularly, whether it's for exercise, creative pursuits, or simply unwinding with loved ones. This helps maintain balance and prevents burnout, ensuring I bring my best to every patient interaction and surgical procedure. Finding this equilibrium isn't just beneficial for my own well-being—it ultimately enhances the care I provide to my patients, fostering a positive and compassionate practice environment.
Launch a Creative Side Hustle
It sounds a little counterintuitive, but starting a side hustle really helped me balance the demands of my medical career with my personal well-being.
Oftentimes, our burnout is more mental than physical. While I love being a physician assistant, I also craved creativity. Some of my interests, like tech, weren't adequately explored in the day-to-day tasks of work.
I had hobbies, but wanted more.
And though some people thought I was crazy, launching my own business met those desires. In my case, entrepreneurship is closely linked to my main career—I run a web hub for PA and nursing positions—but it need not be. I've met surgeons with Etsy shops and nutritionists who landscape on the weekends.
When it comes to personal satisfaction, sometimes the cure is more, not less.
Flip Feelings for Positive Reflection
As a cardiothoracic surgeon, author, and mother to a five-year-old girl, I find balance in a method that I call 'flip the feelings.' This method hinges on the concept that if unexpected challenges arise, you can transform a negative circumstance into a positive one by asking yourself, 'How does this actually work in my favor? How can I flip this scenario to make it serve me?' For example, at the end of a busy day, instead of contemplating all the tasks you didn't get to, you can make a 'done list' and reflect on what you accomplished. This small mindset shift starts the next day on a positive note!
Establish Boundaries and Take PTO
As an integrative doctor focused on preventive care, balancing work and life has been crucial for my own well-being and ability to serve patients. I start each day with meditation and limit after-hours availability. Taking one full week of PTO each quarter is non-negotiable.
Early in my career, I struggled with this and often took work home, responding to messages around the clock. I’ve since learned that reserving time for hobbies, loved ones, and self-care directly impacts my efficacy as a physician. When days feel overwhelming, a quick walk or call with a friend helps shift my mindset. Delegating when possible and being selective about extra tasks has been key.
For those just beginning their practice, start smart habits now. An unbalanced life leads to burnout, limiting your ability to provide the best care. Take time for yourself, and your work will feel even more meaningful. The demands of this field can feel endless, but with strong boundaries, we can avoid overwhelm. Our well-being and our patients’ well-being are deeply connected.
Nurture Hobbies and Relationships
Balancing my career with self-care has been an ongoing process of trial-and-error. Early on, I was completely focused on building my practice and had little time for myself. I eventually learned that neglecting my own needs was detrimental to my work and relationships. Now, I start each day with meditation and exercise, limit after-hours availability, and take one full week of PTO per quarter.
On tough days, a short walk around the block or a phone call with a friend can help reframe my mindset. Little moments of rest and connection go a long way. For newer practitioners, I recommend starting good habits early and being extremely selective about taking work home. Learn to delegate when you can. Your well-being directly impacts your ability to serve patients.
Some of the best advice I received was to pursue hobbies and nurture close relationships outside of work. For me, that means attending local theater performances, cooking dinners with friends, and traveling when possible. Stepping away from the demands of your practice offers much-needed perspective. An unbalanced life is an unfulfilling one. Take time for yourself, and the work you do will be even more impactful.
