Caring for Your Mental Health as a Physician

As a physician, taking care of others is your top priority. But what happens when you're so busy caring for others that you neglect your mental and emotional well-being? Unfortunately, mental health issues (e.g., depression, suicidal ideation, and anxiety) have become all too common in today's fast-paced, high-stress healthcare environment.

Physicians are at high risk for mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. This is due to biological, social, and environmental factors, including the high-stress nature of the job, long work hours, and the emotional toll of dealing with patients' illnesses and deaths regularly.

One of the most essential things physicians can do to take care of their mental and emotional well-being is to prioritize self-care. This can include activities such as personal coaching, therapy, medication, exercise (personal training), meditation (mindfulness), and spending time with friends and family (maintaining connectedness). Additionally, physicians should ensure they get enough sleep, eat a healthy diet, and take regular breaks throughout the day. This is very difficult to do given our competing demands and “old habits” that often foster self-neglect. However, with the appropriate support, strategies, and accountability, you can break free from what often feels like a rat race and begin to live the life you would like to live.

Physician mental health issues are a growing concern in today's healthcare environment. By providing physicians with access to mental health resources without the fear of professional repercussions, we can help improve physicians' well-being and the quality of care they can provide to their patients.

Everyone in the healthcare system needs to address these issues and create a culture of self-care and support for physicians. By doing so, we can help ensure that physicians can continue to provide high-quality care to their patients while also taking care of their mental and emotional well-being.