Burnout in Healthcare Part 2: Why Self-Care Isn't Enough
In my last blog, I talked about burnout in healthcare and why self-care alone isn’t enough to fix it.
Vacations, workouts, massages, and time away can absolutely help, but they don’t change what you’re walking back into when you return to work.
I also talked about boundaries and how important they are in protecting ourselves from burnout. But before we can know what boundaries we need, we have to understand what is actually draining us.
That starts with getting curious.
I think one of the reasons burnout is so prevalent in healthcare is because healthcare is often positioned as a calling rather than a job. It’s a fine line because the work does come with a tremendous amount of responsibility and should be taken seriously. We are caring for people during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.
But the idea that healthcare is a “calling” can also be used to create guilt.
Guilt for setting boundaries.
Guilt for advocating for yourself.
Guilt for asking for more compensation.
Guilt for saying that something is simply too much.
When you care deeply about the work you do, it can be difficult to separate being a good healthcare worker from how much of yourself you are willing to give to the job.
So instead of immediately asking yourself how to fix your burnout, take some time to notice it.
What aspects of your job are bringing up feelings of resentment?
During your next shift, pay attention to the moments that trigger the thought, “This doesn’t seem fair.”
Maybe you have to stay late regularly just to get everything done.
Maybe you feel like you’re constantly picking up other people’s slack.
Maybe you ask for help and feel unsupported.
Maybe the schedule no longer works for your life.
Maybe the emotional weight of the work follows you home long after your shift has ended.
Getting specific can bring clarity.
Sometimes the thing creating the most resentment is something that can be adjusted, addressed with leadership, or protected with a stronger boundary. Other times, recognizing what isn’t working helps you see more clearly what still is.
Ask yourself:
What got me into healthcare in the first place?
Does that still feel relevant to who I am today, or has my purpose changed?
What do I genuinely like about my job?
What parts of my job bring up the most resentment?
Maybe you still like hearing a patient’s story. Maybe you value being part of a life-changing moment. Maybe you enjoy helping a coworker through a difficult shift. Maybe there are still moments when you remember exactly why you chose healthcare in the first place.
From my own experience, I go into each shift reminding myself that I get the opportunity to connect with people that day.
Maybe for you it’s getting to learn something new. Maybe it’s making someone laugh when they’re having a rough day. Maybe it’s knowing that your presence made someone’s experience a little easier.
Reminding yourself of those things can help you reconnect with the parts of your work that still matter to you. But there is an important difference between reframing and convincing yourself to tolerate an unhealthy situation.
A reframe can help you reconnect with what matters to you. It shouldn’t be used to convince yourself that an unsustainable situation is acceptable.
Sometimes getting curious about what you like and dislike about your job helps you make your current situation better. And sometimes it leads you down the path toward your next job.
If working weekends creates the most resentment, maybe you start looking for a position with fewer weekend requirements. If you love the work but the emotional toll has become too much, maybe you begin exploring a different role within healthcare.
It’s okay for something to be too much for you.
That doesn’t mean you don’t care enough. It doesn’t mean you chose the wrong profession. And it doesn’t erase the reasons you entered healthcare in the first place.
Sometimes what worked for one version of you simply doesn’t work anymore.
Your burnout plan doesn’t have to start with changing your entire life. Instead, think about what you can change now and what may need to change later.
What can I change now?
Maybe it’s one boundary, one conversation, one expectation, or one reframe that could make your current situation a little more manageable.
What needs to change later?
Maybe it’s your schedule, workload, role, work environment, or even your job.
What would need to be different for your work to feel sustainable again?
You don’t have to figure it all out today. But you do have to start paying attention to what your reactions to work are telling you.
Because resentment is information.
It can show you where you need a boundary, where something needs to change, and sometimes, where you may be ready to go next.
Hi! I’m Allison Ritter, PLPC
I work with adults whose lives have become smaller because of anxiety, isolation, or major life transitions.
I help my clients reconnect with themselves, build meaningful relationships and create a life guided by their values instead of their fears.
