The Power of Physician Self Care

The following is an excerpt from "Caring for Me Is Caring for You: The Power of Physician Self-Care and Personal Transformation" by Catherine Florio Pipas, MD, MPH:

​" 'One A Day' is a multivitamin designed to promote good health. It also represents the approximate number of physicians who die by suicide daily in the United States. Even one preventable death is too many, and it is a tragedy that as health professionals we are often not able to care for ourselves as well as we care for our patients.

Many stressors contribute to the rising cycle of burnout, depression, and suicide among health professionals. Chronic stress that results from workload exceeding workforce, lack of time and control, and feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness are just a few of the causes. The stigma around mental health and self-care often limits professionals from seeking help or even acknowledging they need a break. Additionally, despite having the knowledge and skills to diagnose and treat others, physicians do not effectively recognize burnout in themselves."

Let's sit with that for a minute. One physician per day dies by suicide in the United States alone. Physicians do not effectively recognize burnout in themselves. It's clear that changes need to be made. But where do we start?

Dr. Florio Pipas suggests that the best place to start is with ourselves. Some key points from her article include the following:

• A broken system is not an excuse to not care for ourselves. It is a call to action.
• Physicians should consider a critical shift in thinking — one that prioritizes caring for oneself as an effective means of caring for others.
• Two strategies for self-care include practicing mindfulness and improving physical health.​

She encourages us to use The Social Ecological Model which "illustrates how change begins with each of us as individuals applying a variety of wellness strategies, and then it spreads outward to our families, teams, organizations, communities, and beyond."

I strongly share this belief, which is why I created my Restorative Embodiment Retreat. It is designed to be a week away from the demands of daily life and work to refocus on ourselves as individuals and get back into balance.

Please consider joining me. (Click here for full retreat details.)

I would also encourage you to read the full article --->here<---

Have a good week! Take care of yourselves, and each other.
​Dr. Angela