Physician, Heal Thyself, Self-Care Is Necessary

When the alarm blares at 5, you might be able to get in a quick workout. More likely, it’s a shower, a cup of coffee, and out the door for morning rounds. Your inbox buzzes, but the first patient is waiting. The day blurs into a relentless cycle of appointments, emergencies, and charting. The afternoon holds a nonexistent lunch break, so it’s a protein bar on the go. A surgery runs long, followed by back-to-back admin meetings, more patients, and more charting. You still must return patient calls, finish documentation, and review tomorrow’s cases before falling into bed. Who has time for self-care?

It’s no secret that practicing medicine is a demanding career. But without prioritizing your physical and mental well-being, there’s no way to meet these daily challenges.

Yet neglecting your health can have a deleterious impact not only on you but also on your practice — and on the care you provide to patients. Here’s why making time for your own health and wellness should be a priority.

A Culture That Downplays Physicians’ Needs

The culture surrounding medicine can make it difficult to prioritize your own needs, said William B. Workman, MD , an adjunct clinical associate professor at Stanford University, Stanford, and double board-certified orthopedic surgeon in Lafayette, California. “I’ve not only seen it — I’ve lived it,” he said. “Whether it’s macho, masochistic, or altruistic, or thinking of others besides yourself, there is a tendency to not take care of yourself because it’s not as important as the work you’re doing — and if you do focus on yourself, it’s selfish.”

Medical training is akin to drinking from a firehose, he adds. “I was very self-conscious about keeping my mouth on the firehose. Then, in my early practice and starting a family, things all went to heck.” By his early 30s, Workman said that he had gained weight, was having knee pain, and simply didn’t feel good. It was his wake-up call to start prioritizing his own health, which he continues to do today.

Declining healthcare reimbursements increase the demands on docs, said Edward Wright, MD, a board-certified emergency medicine physician who owns freestanding emergency rooms in San Antonio. “What’s happening is that doctors are being expected to do more and more and more with less and less and less…reimbursement contributes more than anything else toward physician well-being,” said Wright. “If they can’t maintain viability of their practice or their own life, the first thing they’ll do is scrap their own health to take care of their practice and their patients.”

“As things start to get really busy, it’s easy to ignore yourself,” Wright told Medscape Medical News. “It’s very hard in our minds to deviate from patient care…you [can] go weeks or months before you realize you start hating your life and becoming snappier and more irritable. You sort of lose sight of your own well-being. You don’t realize the profound impact it has on your own life, your family, your staff, and your practice.”

The Need for Self-Care

“Doctors spend their days caring for others, but the reality is that if they do not take care of themselves, it becomes harder to take care of patients effectively. The long hours, high stress, and emotional weight of the job can lead to burnout, exhaustion, and even serious health problems,” said Pamela Tambini, a double board-certified physician in internal and addiction medicine and medical director at Engage Wellness in Acton, Massachusetts. 

“It is easy to push personal well-being aside, but at some point, it catches up. Staying physically and mentally healthy is not just about feeling better personally; it is about showing up as the best version of yourself for your patients.”

As Wright noted, it’s easy to get deep into burnout before you realize you need to prioritize your health. Being constantly exhausted, getting sick more often, feeling physically drained, emotionally depleted, or less engaged with patients (or your loved ones!) are all signs that your physical and mental health may need more of your time and attention.

Taking Time for Yourself and Your Health

“The same things doctors tell their patients — get enough sleep, eat well, exercise, and manage stress — applies to them, too,” said Tambini. “But in reality, it is easier said than done. One of the best things physicians can do is set boundaries. Whether blocking out time for meals, committing to a workout routine, or making sure that they schedule their medical checkups, prioritizing small habits adds up. Therapy, mindfulness, and talking to trusted colleagues can also help with the mental load of the job. Sometimes, just having a space to process the emotions that come with patient care can make a big difference.”

Workman has competed in triathlons, and even when not training for one, works out regularly, surfs, golfs, and enjoys other hobbies. He takes a three-pronged approach (nutrition/exercise/sleep) to his health. “You have to be mindful of what you put in your body, how you move your body, and how you recover your body,” he said. “You cannot get what you want in the long run without it.”

This kind of self-care takes time, but it works. A recent survey of nearly 3000 general practitioners found that those who prioritized physical, relational, and psychological self-care practices during the pandemic were significantly less likely to experience stress, depression, and emotional exhaustion than those who didn’t.

Wright schedules self-care on his calendar. “If I’m working day shifts, I’ll do it at 5 AM in the morning,” he said. “I have to prioritize working out, reading, and personal development. If I don’t put it in my calendar, it doesn’t happen.”

If you’re struggling with making yourself the priority, you may need a change of perspective. “When doctors are well-rested, feeling good, and mentally in the right place, they’re naturally better at what they do. They have more patience, focus, and emotional capacity to give to their patients,” said Tambini. “On the other hand, when they’re running on empty, they are more likely to make mistakes, feel frustrated, or even become detached from the work they once loved. Taking care of their well-being isn’t just about themselves — it directly affects the quality of care they provide.

Prioritizing physical and mental well-being isn’t selfish — it’s necessary,” she added. “The better doctors take care of themselves, the better care they can give to others.” 

Finally, when you invest in your own health, you’re actually investing in your future, said Workman. “My ability to be a great doctor has to do with how healthy I am. It also has to do with longevity,” he said. “The ability to do this for a long period of time depends on our health — and our mental acuity depends on our health, and that affects how we can handle our patients’ health.”

Kelly K. James is a freelancer, content manager, and author of The Book That (Almost) Got Me Fired: How I (Barely) Survived a Year in Corporate America. She covers health/wellness, business/career, and psychology topics from her home in the Chicago suburbs.