Now is the right time to improve the quality of your life so that you have time for family as well as patients. More time to enjoy being away from work doing things you haven’t done for years, like going for a walk, a cycle ride, reading a book, painting, writing, any other almost forgotten hobby, whatever you’ve been saying to yourself ‘One day I’ll have time for such and such’ Now is the time to get more balance between your medical work and the rest of your life, the part of you that may have been denied for years.
Don’t wait until you’re well and truly ‘burnt out’. Re-discover who you are now. Start to make the small changes right now. Be clear about what you have to do against what you ‘should ‘do. Do what you love. Teach others your skills so that you can delegate to them to do the rest.
You may believe that you are indispensable, but if you become too ill to work, what then? Be more ‘selfish’ The word ‘selfish’ may have bad connotations for you. Think about it meaning ‘self-care’ If you take more care of yourself and your own needs you will cope much more effortlessly with those of your patients. Don’t wait to find solace in drink, drugs or until you reach crisis point. Find someone to encourage and support you unconditionally. Talk to them about your frustrations and difficulties of overwork in an environment of feeling undervalued and endless demands made of you and start to look after yourself much much better.
