Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.
~ Albert Einstein

Physician Burnout - Praying for a one-step solution is human nature and a trap!

One of the key features of physician burnout is a desire to run away, escape, make the pain stop. When you are deep in the downward spiral, your mind drops to its knees and prays for a simple, one-step solution to the agony and despair.

We ask basic questions like:

1. What is the solution to physician burnout?
2. What can I do to solve this, make it go away and get on with my career and my life?
   
   

Because our questions are simple, we assume a simple answer -- a solution, a magic pill, a one-shot fix -- will come to our rescue.

This is magical thinking and a search that is doomed to fail !

In this blog post, let me show you the simplest way possible to prevent physician burnout in any healthcare organization that employs physicians. 

I promise to make it as simple as possible for you, but no simpler. 

 

THREE KEY DISTINCTIONS

Physician burnout is a normal response to overwhelming stress  

Burnout is a normal response in anyone who chose to be a helper and a healer and is blocked from making enough of a difference in the lives of their patients.

PhysiciansOnPurpose [ POP ] Podcast #60

Dr. Elizabeth Hughes MD and "Doctors Emotionally Abusive Relationship With Our Careers"

Are YOU at Risk?

Learn six parallels between classic abusive romantic relationships and employee physician's often dysfunctional relationship with their career.

This is Episode 60 of our Physicians On Purpose [ POP ] Podcast - with 19,564 downloads to date. 

STOP PHYSICIAN BURNOUT Book Review and Summary

"Stop Physician Burnout: What to do when working harder isn't working" by Dr. Dike Drummond

The #1 home study guide to build your own Personal Burnout Prevention Strategy. The ideal "Journal Club" study guide for your whole office. Discounts of 40% on orders of three or more. 

This book is a practical guide based on Dr. Drummond's personal experience of burnout and his 12 year physician coaching practice focused on the prevention and treatment of burnout in doctors.

PRACTICAL TOOLS - NOT an Abstract Academic Discussion

The book keys on practical tools to help physicians recognize, prevent, and recover from burnout.

LOCUMSTORY Podcast

EPISODE 9: Recognizing and preventing physician burnout, with TheHappyMD, Dr. Dike Drummond

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.

Physician's Top 3 Work-Life Balance Shortcuts
FREE Online Video Training >> Lessons from our 40,000 doctor experience
5 CME Credits - Short Online Video Lessons
Tools for Daily, Weekly and Monthly Balance

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!

Employee physicians are on a tilted playing field and physician burnout is the result

Why are 63% of US physicians suffering from at least one symptom of burnout as they see patients today?

How did we get to this point where you are more likely to be burned out than not?

• Let me show you the fundamental mismatch that has caused this burnout epidemic
  
  
• And four questions you can use to reveal the mismatch in your own practice and assess your risk of burnout.

Physician Burnout, the Enlightened CFO and the Business Case for Physician Wellbeing

If your CFO fully understood the financial impact of physician burnout, they could be your biggest C-Suite physician wellness champion. 

They could lead the Quadruple Aim charge by convincing the CEO, CMO and even the Board of Directors/Trustees to invest in the health and wellbeing of the providers. They could make a solid business case for a multifaceted return on investment (ROI) in physician wellness across the organization.

Why is this not taking place in every healthcare C-Suite on a regular basis?

In this blog post, let me show you the triple competitive advantage of physician well being and why the enlightened CFO is a key ally in our burnout prevention efforts.

A calling will exhaust you - in a good way.

When you take new actions towards your Ideal Job, you must release your old definition of Failure. 

Einstein's Insanity Trap shows the only way to get new results is to take new actions. To increase your practice satisfaction, you must take new actions at work and at home. You have to do things you have never done before. 

What if things don't work out as you planned? What if you try something new and don't get the result you expected?

Was that attempt a failure? 

Not even a little bit!!
What you did was conduct an experiment. You gathered some data in response to your new action and put yourself in the position to have a learning experience.

You can fail in this quest for your Ideal Practice, most doctors do. This failure is one of the causes of the current 63% burnout rate.

However, when you are building a more Ideal Practice, it is impossible to fail by taking new actions. 

Let's redefine failure and get started on Your Ideal Practice in this final lesson in our Take Back Your Practice series