Last year I decided to take some time off. Not from writing, just from blogging. In fact, I continued to write quite a bit. I finished another book, Putting Out the Fire: How to Prevent Physician Burnout and held the first book signing in Denver last October. I enjoyed the privilege of talking to physicians, medical students, hospital administrators and other stakeholders about how physician stress and burnout can be detrimental to our entire healthcare system. I especially like sharing ways that we can decrease stress and reverse the growing trend of burned out doctors.
For years I have written, spoken and coached individuals on wellness, communication, goal setting, time management and more. As I worked with my physician colleagues on the area of wellness, I began to see the problem was deeper than not having the communication or leadership skills I was teaching. They were under so much pressure from internal and external sources that time management principles and eating better were not going to be enough.
This year I plan to return to blogging, and look forward to digging deeper into ways we can all be the healthiest and happiest versions of ourselves possible. As I strive to achieve my own work-life balance, I hope you will join me on the adventure. There are many definitions of success, but I believe health and happiness must be part of it. This is definitely true in healthcare. Happy and healthy doctors are vital to a better healthcare system with happier and healthier patients. It is a win-win for everyone.
