Physician Wellness and Burnout Toolkit
It is a priority of OAFP to help physicians identify and address the social, political, organizational, and personal contributors to burnout.
The pandemic, competing work and home life stressors, and the socio-political climate are all conditions that can lead to or worsen burnout. Please take a moment to evaluate if burnout is impacting your life or your clinic – it’s okay to experience burnout and to acknowledge the impact prolonged stress has had. If you notice that burnout is impacting your life, or if you’d like to take steps to avoid burnout in the future, please use the resources below.
You may be experiencing burnout if you:
1. Do not experience joy or pleasure on a regular basis
2. Have withdrawn from social activities or personal relationships
3. Find yourself zoning out often throughout the day
4. Feel detached or alone, even within a group of people
5. Struggle to feel motivated to engage in activities that once brought you satisfaction or joy
6. Often feel helpless, hopeless, or depressed; or as if you have let yourself and others down
7. Feel ineffective or incompetent at work
8. Experience physical symptoms, such as gastrointestinal issues, racing heart, tight or tense muscles, or constant fatigue
9. Experience high levels of stress on a daily or near daily basis
10. Have difficulty falling or staying asleep
Explore all of the risk factors and learn how to recognize the signs in at-risk clinicians here.
Some strategies for impacting burnout are:
1. Engage in side-projects, hobbies, or leadership positions that align with your values or interests
2. Take time to connect with family members, friends, or support groups
3. Dedicate at least 15 minutes per day to an enjoyable activity like drinking a cup of coffee, playing with a pet, or listening to music – no multitasking!
4. Ensure you get adequate sleep and take time to rest – resting is a deliberate practice, NOT the absence of doing work.
5. Avoid bringing work home with you – set hard start and stop times for working, and don’t check emails or voice mails after 6pm
6. Allow meal times to be uninterrupted and mindful
7. Engage in a calming activity – gradual muscle relaxation, guided meditation, Qigong, yoga, etc.
8. Provide yourself opportunities to engage in mindful and enjoyable movement
9. Join an advocacy group so you can address the root causes of burnout and make long-lasting impacts on the healthcare system
10. Talk to a licensed therapist to address secondary trauma and other life stressors – see Psychology Today resource below
Please take advantage of these resources to help combat or protect against burnout. Your health, wellbeing, and happiness are important!
Physician Support Line: 1-888-409-0141 is free, confidential and available every day 5:00am-10:00pm to assist physicians and medical students navigate the many intersections of their personal and professional lives.
NAMI offers free 24/7 mental health support for #physicians and health care professionals. Text “SCRUBS” to
741741 for help.
Therapy Aid offers free, short-term therapy to healthcare professionals and first responders who meet criteria.
The Emotional PPE Project aims to connect physicians with supportive mental health professionals.
PeerRxMed™ is a free, peer-supported program designed to help physicians and others on the care team move toward thriving both personally and professionally.
NCTSN Learning Center – In honor of National Physician Suicide Awareness Day 2022, NCTSN Learning Center is offering a free, 5-hour psychological first aid course.
ALL IN: Wellbeing First for Healthcare: Supportive community and resource hub to create a workforce that supports the wellbeing and mental health of physicians.
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – Learn about the Interactive Screening Program, which connects individuals to mental health services before crises emerge.
SSCH Schwartz Rounds program – Health system leaders can implement the SCCH Schwartz Rounds program to help build morale & remind physicians of their purpose.
PsychologyToday.com – Use this tool to find therapists in your area or who offer telehealth. Sort by presenting issue(s), insurance, and treatment modality.
Oregon Wellness Program: 541-242-2805 is a 24/7, free and confidential counseling service to support physicians, advanced practice providers and physician assistants. Call to schedule an appointment. Available in Clackamas, Crook, Deschutes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lane, Marion, Multnomah, Polk and Washington counties.
Oregon Helpers Virtual Wellness Room: This free and confidential peer-facilitated drop-in support group is held weekdays 12:30pm-1:00pm to all frontline workers including medical and behavioral health providers, social workers, home caregivers and more.
Oregon Helpers Wellness Affinity Groups: These online support groups connect participants from similar backgrounds or occupational fields. They are hosted by coaches who guide participants through a strengths-based skills curriculum and share community resources as needed. There are affinity groups for social workers, nurses, mental/behavioral health workers, and firefighters.
Oregon Psychiatric Access Line: 1-855-966-7255 is free, confidential and available weekdays 9:00am-5:00pm to provide peer support and community-based resources for primary care clinicians experiencing stress in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Safe Call Now: 1-206-459-3020 is a 24/7 confidential crisis referral service for all public safety and emergency services personnel and their family members.
Oregon Suicide Prevention Resources
American Medical Association Resources
- Enhance Organizational Wellbeing
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Joy in Medicine™ Health System Recognition Program – for health systems with at least 100 physicians and/or APPs
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ADVOCACY – AMA Recovery Plan for America’s Physicians
- ADVOCACY – AMA’s Advocacy Efforts
American College of Physicians Resources
Psychological PPE – Institute of Healthcare Improvement
Burnout CME Opportunities – American Academy of Family Physicians & AMA EdHub
Maslach Burnout Inventory – Purchase burnout inventories or browse through topics and tools to help with burnout
BetterUp Article about Effective Burnout Recovery Techniques
National Physician Suicide Awareness Day – September 17th
For more information and resources, or to show your support, check out npsaday.org