How can you help physicians balance their work and personal lives?

At its core, empathy allows us to put ourselves in the shoes of another person and understand their perspective. It can help us be more understanding and compassionate towards them, no matter what situation we’re in. This heightened level of understanding helps us to better relate to one another and can even bring about a greater sense of calm within ourselves. On a more practical level, having empathy also helps us to be better communicators. It allows us to better understand our colleagues, clients and customers, leading to stronger relationships and greater success in our work lives.

If we are really serious about supporting physicians then "self-care", it should be included in the physician training before they become qualified. Areas worth considering in particular are: Behaviour Change: Teaching strategies to cultivate healthy habits and coping mechanisms Energy Management: Educating on techniques for managing personal energy levels, such as mindfulness, exercise, and adequate rest, Boundary Setting: Providing guidance on setting professional boundaries helps physicians navigate their workload, and prioritize tasks. Prevention of course is always better than cure!

This doesn't mean "a two week vacation." I've seen physicians build this into their weekly or daily routines and that seems to create much more overall contentment.

Answer all work emails at work It’s not surprising that “after work” has lost its meaning to many, if not most. In the workaholic culture that we have created, it’s not uncommon for work-life to bleed into our personal life. Do not allow this. Even if you work administratively, an email can wait during business hours. Let your team and your administrators call you should an emergency arise. As it is, if you don’t take the time to perform this vital shutdown ritual, you become bleary-eyed and paranoid, having to respond to every vibration and ping of your phone. Take time to address your work emails at work.

In a world where unpredictability is the norm, the 'Urgent-Important Matrix' can serve as a flexible guide for health care professionals. A physician might categorize patient care as urgent-important, warranting immediate attention. In contrast, administrative tasks are important and must be timely, but many not be urgent, and can be set for specific times. When unexpected events occur, like an emergency, the matrix allows for swift reprioritization, addressing the new urgent matter. Post-crisis, the physician can return to the planned schedule, adjusting as needed. By using this framework, physicians can manage the unpredictability of their profession while safeguarding time for personal life and family commitments.

A physician coach can be an extremely helpful tool in this area. Sometimes guidance can come across as criticism, which is not welcomed, but a really good coach and mirror and discuss in a safe space. I've seen it work very well with many providers.

Community is everything. When a physician starts to feel isolated, overworked, and invisible, that's a recipe for a terrible workplace. Companies have to put the energy into building strong teams, and not just talking about it.