Do you tell yourself you’re “doing just fine” when really you’re just going through the motions, experiencing death by a thousand cuts? That’s how Dr. Harry Karydes described his experience as an emergency physician in a community hospital. As is the norm there, Dr. Harry would do shift work and within his first hour on the job would see eight patients. In retrospect, he calls this a “pretty risky pace” because when you’re the only physician working, you’re all alone and the buck stops with you.
Imagine the toll working at this pace has on you, especially when you can’t always save everyone. Then a baby died during his shift, which described as “a sledgehammer across my face.” He didn’t have time to grieve on the job and when he got home, he didn’t want to “burden” his wife with the news. He kept it to himself, a huge red flag of burnout that’s pushed many others in a similar situation to suicide.
This week’s episode of Decode Your Burnout is dedicated to anyone whose blurred the lines between work and home, who finds themselves in in burnout territory, and who needs a wakeup call. It’s also dedicated to physicians who want specific resources for creating a shut-down routine after work.
About Dr. Harry Karydes
Dr. Harry Karydes is an emergency physician and medical toxicologist who practices in the Chicagoland area. He understands the issues that physicians face every day including stress, lack of motivation, and mental fatigue that have become commonplace in medicine
For years, he struggled to keep things balanced while growing at work and thriving at home, and his success came at the expense of his health and family. Something needed to change.
Harry has crafted habits that focus on reaching personal and professional goals without sacrificing one for the other. As a writer and national speaker who has a passion for physician wellness, he helps overwhelmed physicians, residents, and medical students to live a life of focus and balance. His mission is to give you the courage and the tools to learn, grow, and thrive in the important areas of your life. His main platform is at www.medicinerevived.com where he has a blog and podcast.
Dr. Harry’s Tips:
Tip #1: Create a self-care routine before and after work. This will trickle down to better relationships at home and at work.
Tip #2: Minimize distractions including from others while you’re working so you can focus on your tasks.
Tip #3: Schedule time with people you care about in advance. This helps prevent isolation and a feeling of loneliness.
Resources:
Download Dr. Harry’s post-work shutdown routine: https://courses.medicinerevived.com/shutdown-routine
Watch the video of this episode: https://youtu.be/8ZyByNp2Jiw
Download a copy of the Burnout Checklist at: www.drsharongrossman.com/burnoutchecklist
Sign up for a free Breakthrough Session with Dr. Sharon: http://www.bookachatwithsharon.com/
