Balanced Leadership

According to research by the Mayo Clinic in 2016, there were 9 strategies presented to help prevent physician burnout. One of the strategies is to provide resources to help individuals promote self-care.

As much as we don’t want to admit it, there is some responsibility that we have for fighting back against burnout. As physicians, we are taught not to ask for help and to put the needs of others before our own. Women are guiltier of this as they are also caregivers for their family members and carry the bulk of the responsibilities at home.  Unless we break the cycle of putting our needs last, we are going to continue to see high rates of burnout and increased exodus from the field of medicine.

What is Self-Care?

We are conditioned to think that self-care is all about massages, yoga, meditation. It’s much more than that. It’s a commitment you make to yourself to take care of your mind, body, and spirit. Self-care is as necessary as the air you breathe, so...

February is Heart Health Month; a time when we increase awareness about the effects of heart disease, especially in women. We know the statistics all too well. 1 out of 3 women die each year from heart disease. We also know that heart disease is preventable. We encourage our patients and loves ones to take care of their hearts by reducing their blood pressure and cholesterol levels, by eating healthy, exercising and reducing their stress level.

How much of this advice do we take on ourselves? When was the last time you checked in with yourself? How much stress are you dealing with right now? Stress is hard to quantify, but if you are having feelings of overwhelm on a daily basis, this chain of events can eventually lead to health problems and increase your risk for heart disease.

As women we spend so much time taking care of everyone else, that we put our own needs and sometimes our health on the back-burner. We are by nature caregivers, problem solvers and nurturers. We carry...