A glimpse into White Coat Wellness Program, Day 1/42: Where Do You Stand on the Vitality-Burnout Continuum?
I clearly remember the sound of the car’s tires screeching as it skidded toward mine, narrowly avoiding a crash. With my 3-year-old son in the car, that moment became a vivid wake-up call. I was operating on autopilot—exhausted, mentally foggy, and living in a state of constant burnout. That near-miss made me realize I couldn’t continue down that path.
At 33 years old, I was dealing with high blood pressure, daily palpitations, mood swings, and insomnia. I was constantly stressed, running between the hospital and my private practice, but nothing seemed to work. I didn’t know the term "burnout" yet, but I felt it deeply. It took time to seek answers. The breakthrough came during a wellness conference when I participated in an exercise asking, "Why do I need good health?" Something shifted within me, sparking a new perspective and setting me on a path to reclaim my vitality. This journey has not been without sacrifices, such as closing my business, but it was necessary to recalibrate. Many doctors, though, continue to feel the constant pressure of work intensifying every year. The effects of the pandemic only added more strain.
You’ve probably heard the term "provider" used often in healthcare. But can we truly provide if we’re running on empty? It’s a question we must all ask ourselves. Can we truly care for others if our own well-being is suffering?
What is Health and Vitality? What is Burnout?
We’re familiar with the WHO definition of health: “A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease.” However, for most physicians, this is idealistic. Our work tends to focus primarily on diagnosing and treating physical illnesses, while the deeper aspects of mental and social health are often neglected—both for our patients and for ourselves.
Vitality, on the other hand, is essential. It can be described as “having the capacity to live and grow, or physical or mental energy or strength.” Think of it like a bank account—you either have a surplus of vitality or you’re in a deficit, and when the latter happens, you enter burnout territory.
Take a Moment of Reflection: Have You Ever Experienced Signs of Extreme Fatigue, Depersonalization, or a Sense of Reduced Personal Accomplishments?
These are three major symptoms of burnout. Burnout is a pervasive global issue in healthcare, impacting work efficiency, job satisfaction, and patient care. As doctors, we often experience emotional exhaustion, especially during tough shifts. The difference between burnout and stress is the inability to recover—burnout lingers even after time off.
So, burnout has three primary symptoms:
- Physical and Emotional Exhaustion
Feeling drained and having nothing left to give emotionally or physically. You might not recover even after taking a break.
- Depersonalization
Viewing patients more as objects than humans, often accompanied by cynicism, irritability, and detachment.
- Reduced Sense of Accomplishment
Feelings of ineffectiveness, where your professional efforts, no matter how hard you try, don’t seem to make a difference.
Burnout isn’t just fatigue from working hard—it’s chronic exhaustion that affects all areas of your life, including your relationships and your ability to connect with patients.
Burnout is Not Just Fatigue from Working Hard
Here’s the difference: Imagine you take time off to recharge. You rest, sleep, and relax—but when you return to work, you still feel emotionally drained, almost as if you never really rested. Why does this happen?
Burnout isn’t just physical exhaustion—it affects your entire system: body, emotions, and spirit. When your energy accounts—physical, emotional, and spiritual—are depleted, recovery doesn’t happen unless you specifically target and replenish each one.
- Physical Energy Account
This is where rest, exercise, and nutrition play a crucial role in replenishment. Neglecting physical health contributes to burnout.
- Emotional Energy Account
Recharging this account involves meaningful connections with loved ones. You must nurture emotional bonds to be present in your work and relationships.
- Spiritual Energy Account
This involves finding purpose and meaning in your work. Reflecting on your “ideal patient” interactions, having moments of gratitude, and finding value in your career are key to recharging spiritually.
Burnout Can Affect Doctors in All Areas of Life
Burnout doesn’t only impact your work—it affects your family, your relationships, and your personal well-being. Physically and emotionally drained physicians often find themselves more irritable at home, leading to conflicts with spouses and children. Furthermore, burnout significantly impacts patient care, leading to errors, suboptimal outcomes, and reduced patient satisfaction.
What Percentage of Doctors Are Experiencing Burnout?
While everyone is excited to talk about Burnout as a phenomenon or general topic (like global warming or the weather forecast), at the same time, there is hesitancy to "really talk about it" as a silent pandemic among healthcare workers, especially after the COVID-19 era. Burnout is very real and not obviously visible due to the silent taboo of this topic between doctors. Therefore, many doctors are burning silently after another stressful, long day.
Let's look at the official statistics:
- The 3rd Annual Medical Economics Physician Burnout and Wellness Survey reported that 94% of physicians answered YES to the question "Have you felt burned out from practicing Medicine at any point during your career?" and 80% of physicians answered YES to the question "Do you feel burned out right now?"
- In the Physicians Foundation's "2018 Survey of America's Physicians: Practice Patterns and Perspectives," 77.8% of respondents reported having feelings of professional burnout either sometimes, often, or always—up from 74% in 2016.
- According to a study by InCrowd, 79% of primary care physicians say they have experienced symptoms of burnout, compared to 68% of all physicians surveyed.
- A 2016 study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that 54.4% of physicians surveyed reported at least one symptom of burnout in 2014.
