Outwitting burnout

 

By Edward T. Creagan, M.D. December 11, 2014 The pace of modern life is maniacal. Regardless of where you are in your personal or professional life, you probably feel that the demands and expectations, and the time pressure, are exhausting and relentless. It's like trying to drink out of a fire hose. This challenge becomes magnified during the holiday season with an additional set of invitations and commitments. So how can you hop off the hamster wheel? How do you keep burnout at bay? Many books have been written about this phenomenon and what you can do about it. Some are helpful; a few are fluff. As a board-certified palliative care/hospice specialist and board-certified medical oncologist, I work in two areas of medicine with the highest burnout rates of any professional group. Depending on the source, the burnout rate among oncologists is about 50 percent. The rate is closer to 60 percent in the palliative care community. So what have I learned and what can I share with you? Rather than a giving you a laundry list of 17 recommendations, let me give you three tips you can take to the bank: Focus on the "WIN." I don't mean victory. I mean remember to ask yourself: "What's important now?" It's not brain surgery to know what's important at the present time. If you're driving, pay attention to the road. If you're having dinner with a friend, be engaged. Don't play around with your tablet or phone. It's not only distracting, it's disrespectful. Quantify the commitment. Before you agree to sit on a committee, host a dinner party or write a manuscript, recognize that it means giving up a commodity that cannot be replaced — your time. So before you say yes, consider Creagan's rule. Whatever I'm asked to do, I multiply the estimated time commitment by a factor of 4. No, I am not kidding. If you anticipate that you can review a manuscript or write a resume in 1 hour, I guarantee it will take you more like 4 hours. So factor that into decisions about what's worth your time. Make yourself unavailable. I recently called a physician in New York. I was greeted by his answering machine, and I was rather surprised and amused by his message. It went something like this, "Thank you for the call. If this is an emergency, please dial 911. If this is not an emergency, I will be available on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday between 12 and 2 p.m., and on Monday between 4 and 6 p.m. Otherwise, I am not available." This was a novel approach that let callers know in no uncertain terms that the physician had limited availability. When I share these comments with an audience of health care providers, I also add the comment that if I really need to do something in the office, I might put a sticky on the door that says something like this, "Conference call in progress. Please do not disturb." There's something about conference calls that discourages people from interrupting. OK, I accept that this is deceptive and perhaps manipulative, but it enables me to get done what needs to be done and not be bombarded by other people's issues. By the way, be sure to get at least 8 hours of sleep and I guarantee that the next day will be far more productive. Join the discussion at #Stress. Dec. 11, 2014