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Promoting an ideal work-life balance can be difficult. At best, we learn over time to develop a routine and build in a buffer (of time) for life’s unpredictable nature. At worst, we can “fly by the seat of our pants” navigating change as it happens. The best approach is often a blend of both strategies—to be flexible enough to adapt to change while having some type of life plan.

The modern world is fast and unpredictable. Both are causing a level of heightened awareness and stress. Since the global COVID-19 pandemic, the world of work has dramatically changed. A number of industries have adopted permanent tele-working or a blend of in-office and some work at home. Many work environments now suffer the consequences of strained systems secondary to a lack of qualified personnel. It seems no industry escaped the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic—especially healthcare. What we hoped would be a short virus-driven cycle of illness has turned out to be a seemingly endless multi-year tragedy. To date, healthcare has been somewhat successfully able to weather the storm. However, as surges of patients continue testing system limits, caregivers wane from the prolonged stress, and dark clouds remain on the horizon.

Learning to build hardiness to combat the effects of stress, fatigue, and burnout in healthcare is essential. It should be viewed the same as mastering any other type of work-related competency. And the ability to build mental and physical fitness for duty must become the norm. A radically different healthcare system of the future may depend on it.

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Does your workplace seem to know about or be concerned about burnout? If so, how does your workplace discourage burnout? You can read more from the National Academy of Medicine’s National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being: https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/26744/chapter/1. This report estimated the societal costs of healthcare worker burnout before the pandemic (in 2019) at $4.6 billion. We know the costs have only grown since that time.

  • Action Step: What has your workplace done in relation to burnout?

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  • Action Step: Think about the underlying system issues in your professional work environment. Do you believe they are contributing to increased stress and burnout? Can you change these underlying issues to be part of the solution?

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  • Action Step: What have you done personally or professionally to cope related to the increased environmental stress in the healthcare work environment?

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Is your workplace engaged and interested in your well-being?

  • Action Step: If the answer to this question is yes—could your workplace be a model for others? Are they on the cutting edge with best practice(s)? Is there a venue to share what you have learned with others? If the answer is no—why is that when healthcare is a people business?

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Does your workplace promote health?

  • Action Step: Find out what your organization does to promote health. Is it enough? Do you ...

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