{"id":268,"date":"2023-11-28T22:11:15","date_gmt":"2023-11-28T22:11:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazines.westernu.edu\/future-of-medicine\/?p=268"},"modified":"2024-02-20T17:44:11","modified_gmt":"2024-02-20T17:44:11","slug":"avoiding-burnout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazines.westernu.edu\/future-of-medicine\/avoiding-burnout\/","title":{"rendered":"Avoiding Burnout"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wysiwyg-content\">\n  <p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Embarking on the journey of medical school and any other healthcare profession is a great adventure, one that ultimately equips individuals with the profound privilege of caring for others. Yet, amidst this noble pursuit lies the potential for burnout.\u202f\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Burnout is a state characterized by physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficiency. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">These facets are interconnected and often stem from a combination of demanding work conditions and a lack of necessary support structures, according to Mandi Hudson, DO, Vice Dean of COMP\/COMP-Northwest and Professor of Psychiatry.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Burnout isn\u2019t confined to seasoned physicians; students in medical schools are equally susceptible. Throughout their academic journey, students may find themselves grappling with burnout triggered by various stressors, such as encountering failure for the first time or facing the rigorous demands of clinical education.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The demanding nature of medical education, coupled with the relentless pursuit of excellence, often pushes individuals to prioritize academic success over personal well-being. However, it&#8217;s imperative to recognize that simple strategies, such as prioritizing good sleep hygiene, incorporating breaks into study schedules, seeking support, and practicing gratitude, can serve as powerful shields against burnout, advises <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Michelle Park, EdD, Associate Dean of Student Affairs<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">It is important to remember that burnout is not \u201cnormal\u201d or something to be taken lightly. If subconsciously ignored or left unattended, it can wreak havoc on the body, mind, and spirit. Once the spirit is squelched, the drive to keep going is stymied. Learning to say no (having healthy boundaries) is absolutely necessary to maintain a healthy balance between self and others <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">said Professor and Chair of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry Yadi Fernandez-Sweeny, PsyD, MS, CRNA.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Dr. Sweeney suggests the following if one is approaching burnout:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Listen to your symptoms.\u202f\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Be humble, objective, and curious about what you are experiencing.\u202f\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Know that there is no need for shame or thinking that you \u201cshould\u201d be able to handle whatever stressors you are experiencing.\u202f\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">You are feeling this way for a reason.\u202f\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Stand by YOU through thick and thin and reach out for support.\u202f\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Dr. Hudson stresses the importance of nurturing mental wellness as a strategy in the battle against burnout. This encompasses maintaining a harmonious functioning of the mind, enabling individuals to navigate life&#8217;s challenges effectively. Living a values-based life, characterized by alignment with personal principles and standards, fosters resilience and \u202f <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">decreases the likelihood of depression. Central to mental wellness is the establishment of healthy boundaries\u2014a practice often hindered by fear, ambivalence, and low self-worth. Overcoming these barriers involves a journey of self-discovery, marked by a realization of one&#8217;s inherent worth and the cultivation of assertiveness in interpersonal relationships.\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Ultimately, acknowledging and addressing burnout is not only a matter of personal well-being but also a testament to one&#8217;s commitment to providing compassionate and effective care to others. By nurturing a culture that prioritizes mental wellness, individuals can safeguard against burnout and create an environment where both personal and professional fulfillment thrive. Take care of yourself, so that you may take care of others well. Remember, attending to one&#8217;s well-being isn&#8217;t an indulgence\u2014it&#8217;s a necessity for sustaining the spirit and drive essential to the medical profession&#8217;s noble calling.\u202f\u202f<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":327,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"issue":[2],"topic":[20],"class_list":["post-268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-conversation-starters","issue-transforming-medical-education","topic-wellness"],"acf":{"sub_title":"Stand by YOU through thick and thin and reach out for support.\u202f\u202f ","article_author":"Mandi Hudson, DO, Michelle Park, EdD, Yadi Fernandez-Sweeny, PsyD, MS, CRNA, &amp; Crystal Rivera\u202f","featured_video":{"video_iframe":false,"video":"","video_url":""}},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazines.westernu.edu\/future-of-medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazines.westernu.edu\/future-of-medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazines.westernu.edu\/future-of-medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazines.westernu.edu\/future-of-medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazines.westernu.edu\/future-of-medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=268"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/magazines.westernu.edu\/future-of-medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":899,"href":"https:\/\/magazines.westernu.edu\/future-of-medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268\/revisions\/899"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazines.westernu.edu\/future-of-medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/327"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazines.westernu.edu\/future-of-medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=268"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazines.westernu.edu\/future-of-medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=268"},{"taxonomy":"issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazines.westernu.edu\/future-of-medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/issue?post=268"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazines.westernu.edu\/future-of-medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=268"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}