Are you wondering what contributes to so much burnout in medicine? One major cause of burnout is spending so much time racing to the finish line that you forget to enjoy the journey.
We treat medical training as a race to the finish line. We are always trying to get to the next goal or benchmark. We think things will be better when…. we graduate, we get to that next phase in our training, or we hit that next income or savings goal?
The problem with living for the finish line is… it never truly arrives.
In this incredible episode, Dr. Jessica Louie, pharmacist, You-tuber and host of The Burnout Doctor Podcast share her own journey of burnout.
She went from being burnt out and in-debt at the end of her pharmacy residency to now feeling fulfilled in her work and financially free.
During this episode Jessica shares:
- The unhealthy coping strategy she picked up to deal with her stress and burnout
- Her rock bottom wake up call moment when she knew she needed to make some changes
- How she used Marie Kondo’s method to declutter her physical and mental space and recover from burnout
- Why finances play a role in contributing to burnout
- 4 simple steps to take control of your finances today
And SO MUCH MORE. If you’ve been struggling with burnout (check my post 5 Signs You are Heading For Burnout to see if you can relate) this episode is exactly what you need. It will help you shift your mindset and give you practical steps you can take to start to turn your situation around.
Use the audio player above to listen in, or head to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Jessica’s journey of burnout in medicine
During the last year of her 9 years in training, Jessica started to experience burnout. She had the classic triad of symptoms: exhaustion, cynicism, and decreased sense of personal accomplishment.
One way she coped with her burnout was through shopping. She actually spent over $5000 in 2 months on her shopping habit. Finally, she hit rock-bottom in 2015 when her aunt died from cancer. That was then when she realized that life could really be short. This was her wake-up moment and she decided from there to simplify her work and reconnect to her intentions.
Mindsets that contribute to burnout in medicine
As an adult is is very important to reflect on the environment we were in growing up because it can play a role on our perspective and mindset. Jessica came from a Chinese American home; her parents had a very fixed mindset. (From the book by Carol Dweck: Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset: How To Shift To A Path Of Learning And Growth)
Jessica also had a finish line mentality and was always focused on the end goal. If you keep your eyes on the end goal, you don’t enjoy the journey. You live in anticipation of the goal, instead of living in the moment.
When you are just trying to get to the finish line, the finish line never comes. The finish line keeps on going and going and at some point you have to realize if I don’t enjoy my life now- what was this all about?
Dr. Jessica Louie
Healing from burnout with the help of Marie Kondo
Jessica read Marie Kondo’s book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. She realized the best way to heal from burnout in medicine is by decluttering her physical space.
She faced her burnout by starting with the things that she could control. She let go of the things that were not useful to her anymore. The process involves acknowledging that the item taught you something. When letting go of the items, it’s not about the amount you let go of, but actually the joy it gives you.
Following Marie Kondo’s method helped Jessica simplify her life, find her purpose and connect back to her why.
How Debt Impacts Burnout in Medicine
Finances play a big role in creating the feeling that you are trapped in a job which can cause stress and contribute to burnout. When you rely on one single employer for your sole source of income you can become financially stressed.
Start thinking about how to get additional income sources. Take control of your life by empowering yourself and upgrading your skillset. It’s important to use our resources and money to bring joy into our lives.
To start taking control of your finances you can follow a few simple steps. First face the facts by pulling a free credit report. Next start tracking your finances and evaluate if the things you spend money on are adding joy to your life. Educating yourself on finances is so important.
Links/ Resources:
Listen to The Burnout Doctor Podcast: https://drjessicalouie.com/podcast/
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-m-louie-pharmd-bcccp/
Connect on YouTube: http://bit.ly/DrJessicaLouieYTSub
Connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjessicalouie/
Get the Burnout & Financial Starter Kits: https://drjessicalouie.com/linkedin/
Email: Hello@DrJessicaLouie.com
Thanks.
A Well Wisher:
Let me start by saying that Chelsea Turgeon is immensely gifted. She is blessed with the gift of action along with the gift of words. I have been following her coaching sessions for the past few months.
Coach Chels MD, has the wisdom, of understanding her clients problems and then finding simple solutions, to at times extremely complex, situations and problems.
She is well travelled and that gives her a bird’s eye view of vast & varied situations; spread across many cultures; covering a very wide area; that spreads across numerous countries.
This is a very rare talent that Coach Chels MD, has. I would encourage her to keep moving on, to ever widening thought and action. I wish her all success.
Thanks,
Regards,
Arun Sil, MBA (The University of Tulsa; class of 1992), LL.B. LL.M.
Arun- thank you so much for your kind words. This is why I keep doing the work I do. Wishing you the absolute best as well. Let me know if there is any way I can support you.