But what about ours? About our well-being? Somewhere along the way we forgot to apply this philosophy to ourselves. 

But first, what is burnout? Quick refresher course here: it is not just exhaustion. It's more than being tired after a long shift. More than needing a vacation, and more than having too many charts left to finish at the end of the day. Physician burnout can feel like slowly losing pieces of yourself while you're still continuing to function remarkably well on the outside. 

It can also show up quietly. More irritable in the car on the way home, dreading your next shift you once handled without a second thought. Feeling “numb” with a challenging case you used to love.  It can also be sitting in your car for an extra five minutes when nobody needs anything from you before walking into your home. 

So how do we cure this? Naturally, we want to “fix” it, right? After all, we’re doctors, and that’s why we wanted to go to medical school. To help everyone. So how do we help ourselves? 

There are many articles on overcoming burnout and how to overcome it. These too can be overwhelming. And not only do we read about it, but now, in this age of social media, we also see online how to “fix” burnout. We have to watch videos on it.  Watching people tell us to exercise more, read more, sleep more, meditate, become more efficient, improve time management, drink more water, and don't forget your matcha. All the self-care!

I don't know about you, but seeing all of that online makes me more overwhelmed. I mean, how is there enough time in the day for all of that? How is there enough time to fit in the “schedule” for self-care?

The key to burnout is not just overcoming it or “fixing” it, but, like we do in medicine for others, we need to prevent it! 

The answer to burnout isn't doing more. It's not wearing exhaustion as a badge of honor, but it's taking more time to do what you love and taking more time for the people around you in your life who love you. Quality time. 

It starts with putting the phone down. Then asking the question, “What makes me feel like myself?”

Is it writing, gardening, running, reading, or sitting at your child's baseball game without checking your phone? Or maybe it's petting your dog, cooking, traveling, going to church, walking outside, or having coffee with a friend? 

Whatever it is, make room for that again. 

And here is a gentle reminder for you, like someone taught me in that medical lecture: “Medicine is what you do. It's not who you are.”  Do what makes you feel like you again, and don't forget the people in your life who helped you get there and the ones that are precious to you. For that's what makes you who you are too. Don’t rely just on self-care, but don’t forget to take care of your soul. Remembering that is how we prevent burnout. That is the medicine for you. 

Kelly Cavalli, DO, is a board-certified internal medicine physician with experience in outpatient medicine, geriatric care, and hospice care. She lives with her husband, children, and Labrador retrievers. She is the author of “Medicine for Your Soul: A Soul Care Routine Journal to Help You Prevent Burnout,” published to help others in healthcare prevent burnout.