PookieMD burns out: a recovery plan
As you know, I have been been working a lot of extra shifts since Hubby got his pink slip. I knew I was burning out in mid September after taking about 5 extra shifts per month. Here are my warning signs, and my anti-burn out plan.
- Dread of going in to work that would start on my days off.
- Shortness with nurses on the phone.
- Excess whining at work on my part.
- My daughter asking, “do you really have to go to work today? I haven’t seen you in FOREVER.”
- Over reliance on coffee.
- Hoping that someone else would get to the “Code Blue” first so I wouldn’t have to run it.
- Looking longingly at patients’ beds, wishing I could just sleep.
- Wishing I would catch H1N1 so I could stay home, but no, my iron clad immune system is too strong!
- Yelling at hubby to “get a job, dammit!”
- Regretting instantly how b—-y I have been to just about every one in my life.
Anti burn out plan:
- Over the top self care. I got two 20 minute neck massages at WholeFoods before I went in to work.
- Reducing the amount of shifts I am willing to work. I cut down by a couple each month, starting in December. (That’s the soonest I could change my schedule.)
- Bring in good lunches/dinners to work. No more high fat, high calorie doctor’s lounge junk!
- Getting out side. It’s beautiful out here in Colorado. Getting out for a walk with my hyper dog (a vizsla, if anyone wants to know) helps her and me!
- Saving the notes my daughter puts in to my lunch box.
- Reminding myself that this too, shall pass, although it sure feels like a kidney stone right now!
And what do you do to avoid flame out?
PS: there is a nice summary of an article from JAMA on reducing physician burnout over at KevinMD.
