A career in the medical field will take up every minute of your time, use up all your energy and patience, and affect your relationships.
With lives on the line and countless patients and tasks vying for a physician’s attention, it is no wonder many doctors have trouble maintaining work-life balance.
The Importance of Work-Life Balance
According to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, physicians are almost twice as likely to feel dissatisfaction with their work-life balance compared to other people on different career paths. The researchers also note that a lack of work-life balance can lead to physician burnout, which then translates to lower quality patient care. Overworked doctors who suffer from health problems are more likely to call in sick.
Poor work-life balance not only affects the individual, but also the organization they work in.
Lifestyle and Income Options
Balance and wellbeing are difficult to achieve in your line of work because being a physician is not just a job for you. It is a vocation. As such, you do everything in your power to do more for your patients, while meeting clinical duties and personal commitments.
But you can stop the imbalance by taking the time to reflect on your life, your career, and what you want out of both.
Recharge as well. Take every opportunity to do the things you love. Exercise, spend time with your family and take a holiday when you can.
And then consider other income options for your vocation, like locum tenens work. This may make maintaining work-life balance easier because it offers more flexibility and independence. The temporary placement means you get a well-deserved break at the end of every assignment. It also offers opportunities to pursue other non-general practice work to keep your career interesting.
There are many ways to restore work-life balance and Interim Physicians can help you do just that. We can be your locum tenens partner, helping you find the best career path according to your practice, whether as a locum tenens hospitalist or psychiatrist.
Start your job search with us today. Call us or fill out the contact form for inquiries.
