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Medicine is a very demanding field. Resilience is not just helpful – it is essential.
I know firsthand how overwhelming the pressures we face in the medical field can be. Many of us experience symptoms of burnout, emotional fatigue and stress, which can significantly impact our professional and personal lives. But here’s the kicker: resilience can be used to overcome these challenges. In my experience, resilience is crucial to our well-being. By sharpening these skills, you will not only become a better doctor, but you will also lead a happier life.
How do you build resilience in medicine? Which pillars are associated with building resilience? Today we address this important topic for physicians.
And regardless of whether you have just started your specialist training or have been practicing for decades, we explore practical techniques to strengthen your resilience as a doctor and how you can effectively deal with stress.
Read on if you desire such things. We'll break down what resilience means for physicians and explore strategies for building that resilience. Along the way, we learn how entrepreneurship can play a surprising role in building resilience, in medicine and beyond.
Attitude is Height: Changing Mindset
What is resilience? It is the ability to withstand difficult situations, maintain productivity, function well, and recover quickly. Another word for it is toughness. However, research shows that when we are more resilient, our quality of life improves and our stress decreases. Would it surprise you to learn that becoming more resilient is as easy as changing your mindset?
It reminds me of the saying: “It is not your talent, but your attitude that determines your height.” This means that your mindset can be the biggest factor in your success. It's true. Our attitudes and perspectives make a big difference.
I think you know this. Most successful doctors have to practice a growth mindset to get to where they are today. But when it comes to specifically building resilience, there are many mindset strategies you can use. Let's cover some of them.
Appreciate your role: It's not hard to get lost in the daily grind. When that happens, we forget that we contribute so much. Then meaning and purpose slowly disappear. Sometimes a patient thanks us for our work and we are reminded of our goal.
Find out how to remind yourself of your worth every day. Understand and appreciate the importance of your work. Framing your mindset in this way will give you long-term motivation and job satisfaction.
Develop self-confidence: Regularly reflect on your emotional state and recognize when you are reaching your limits. This can be difficult because we are so busy in our daily lives. Some of us may not even know where to start or where we are, but take a little time each day to think about how you are doing.
While you're at it, I recommend reading Grit by Angela Duckworth, where she talks about the importance of passion, perseverance, and developing self-confidence as part of courage.
Accept personal limitations: Accept that you can't do everything, and that's okay. This acceptance is the key to preventing burnout.
I recently spoke to someone – the head of his department – who felt like everything was his responsibility. They stepped in when the department was short because they found it difficult to say no. What's worse, they knew it was having a significant impact on their home lives and on their own emotional health. I think many of us can relate to that feeling… like we need to be a professional superhero.
But it's okay to say no. Think of it this way: When you say yes to something, you are saying no to everything else. So we have to say no to avoid burnout. You must learn to accept your limitations and focus on what you can control.
Maintain interest: To remain resilient, it is important to maintain interest in medicine. How can you achieve this? Continuously seek new knowledge and skills to keep your passion for medicine alive.
Find new ways to grow and develop. It's not uncommon for it to take seven or ten years to achieve your professional goals. Then I get the feeling: What else is there? But the truth is, you've never quite arrived. There is always something new to learn, so keep striving for more. Attend conferences, network with new people, optimize your life in and outside of medicine, and stay on the right track.
Entrepreneurship as a path to resilience
For many people in the Passive Income MD community, entrepreneurship has become part of their resilience in medicine. By entrepreneurship, I don't mean starting a multimillion-dollar company. It means identifying and solving problems for others through work outside of your doctor's office.
There are numerous ways entrepreneurship helps build resilience. Here are just a few of them.
Diversify: I've talked a lot about how diversifying your identity can help curb burnout, but how does this apply to entrepreneurship?
Entrepreneurship allows you to use a different part of your brain. It becomes a fun challenge to build these other parts of yourself while encouraging growth, confidence and learning. These qualities will then feed back into your medical practice.
It also allows you to shift focus between different types of challenges. This variety can serve as a mental refresher and reduce the monotony and stress of clinical work.
Empowerment and Control: Owning a business gives you greater control over your work environment, which can reduce the feeling of helplessness that is common in clinical settings.
You are free to choose your work schedule, working hours, location and projects. You will also develop a greater sense of ownership of your destiny, making your own decisions and filtering them on your own terms. This flexibility helps you balance work and family, which is not always possible in medicine.
Financial security: If you can create additional sources of income through entrepreneurship, you will be better equipped to achieve your financial goals and live your dream life.
Diversifying your income through entrepreneurial ventures can alleviate financial worries, which are a significant source of stress for many physicians. This added security can provide a buffer against the pressures of medical practice. If you have sufficient financial security, you can decide for yourself how you want to practice medicine.
Purpose beyond medicine: Entrepreneurship provides an opportunity to explore passions outside of medicine and helps you stay engaged and motivated. This can reignite your passion for your company and your medical practice and contribute to a diverse and resilient professional life. I have found that pursuing this interest outside of medicine has helped people keep their minds sharp.
It's time to become resilient
By cultivating the right attitude, prioritizing balance, managing your practice effectively, and building strong relationships, you can strengthen your resilience.
Start by implementing a small change in each area we discussed. Once it becomes normalized in your routine, add another. And consider exploring entrepreneurial ventures that align with your passions—they could be the key to building your resilience.
Remember: Resilience isn't just about getting back on your feet – it's about moving forward with strength and purpose. By investing in your own resilience, you are investing in your ability to provide the best care to your patients while living a fulfilling life. It is an investment in your future.
If you're looking for communities of like-minded people helping each other stay resilient in the world of medicine, investing and entrepreneurship, look no further. Passive Income MD members are here to support you on your journey.
Peter Kim, MD, is the founder of Passive Income MD, creator of the Passive Real Estate Academy, and offers weekly training through his Monday podcast, the Passive Income MD Podcast. Join our community in the Passive Income Doc Facebook Group.
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