By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    benefits of using protein powder to build muscles
    Protein Powder for Muscle Mass: Everything You Need to Know
    December 12, 2021
    changes brought on by blockchain in healthcare
    Technology In The Healthcare Industry
    March 28, 2022
    What Does Core Body Temperature Say About Health?
    August 17, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Obesity Explained
    December 2, 2011
    Why Pilot Programs are a Waste of Time and Money
    August 26, 2017
    Does Disclosure Work?
    January 4, 2012
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Work Life Balance for Doctors – Building Your “OFF” Switch
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Medical Education > Work Life Balance for Doctors – Building Your “OFF” Switch
Medical Education

Work Life Balance for Doctors – Building Your “OFF” Switch

dikedrummond
dikedrummond
Share
9 Min Read
work life balance and the doctor off switch
SHARE

 

Contents
Work life balance and the missing “OFF” switch for doctorsHere’s a personal example of the effects of the missing “OFF” switch …Where’s the “OFF” switch?Three keys to building an effective “OFF” switchHere are some work life balance boundary ritual examples:Now it’s your turn to build your off switch for work life balanceRemember too that building your own “OFF” switch and creating true work life balance is a  process.~ Dike

 

work life balance and the doctor off switchWork life balance and the missing “OFF” switch for doctors

One of the reasons work life balance is so difficult for physicians is the missing “OFF” switch on our doctor programming.

You are trained so thoroughly over such a long time how to be “ON” as a doctor that your physician programming dominates your entire life — running continuously both at work and at home. Work life balance can begin only when you are able to shut that doctor programming OFF – something we were never taught how to do in medical school or residency.

More Read

dental industry jobs
Most Satisfying Careers in the Dental Field
Promoting Innovations in Medical Education
Physician Wellness – Saying “NO” to Endless Hours and Solo Practice
Is a Career in Naturopathic Medicine Right for You?
Reviving the Spark: How Physicians Can Renew Their Joy in Medicine

In this post I will show you how to build your own personal “OFF” switch to your doctor programming and get the daily dose of work life balance you must have to prevent physician burnout.

Here’s a personal example of the effects of the missing “OFF” switch …

When was the last time this happened to you?

You had a stressful day in the office … couldn’t wait to finish your last patient and get out of there … thanking your lucky stars you are not on call after a day like this … then …

On the way home the hassles of the day kept repeating themselves in an endless loop in your mind. You walked through your front door to be welcomed by your family, even the dog is wagging its tail.

You flop down at the dinner table and eat for the first time today … and the tape in your head just keeps on running. Your eyes are open, you are looking at your family as they talk to you … and you realize you are not there.

The little voice in your head is wondering if you prescribed the right dose for Mrs. Kowalski and can’t remember if you told your partner on call about Mr. Yee’s delirium the last time he was in the hospital.

Does any of that feel familiar? Here’s why it happens.

 

We are all trained on how to practice clinical medicine. Along the way we are conditioned to be a workaholic, superhero, emotion free, Lone Ranger. These skills and programming work very well to produce an effective and efficient doctor, but they were never intended to be used outside the clinic or hospital.

Where’s the “OFF” switch?

Imagine the coming home scenario above if you were like “Data” on Star Trek and there was a little switch in the back of your head that would “turn the doctor off”. You flip the switch when you leave the office and all your doctor cares and worries are dropped until you turn the doctor back on again the next day.

With your doctor “OFF” switch you can be completely present with your family and your own personal needs and desires. Flipping this “OFF” switch is the first activity in creating any work life balance.

You can install your own “OFF” switch … here’s how.

It is called a “boundary ritual”. Boundary rituals mark the invisible boundary between work and home … that place where work life balance is supposed to begin. The challenge is this boundary and the “OFF” switch it relies on are invisible until you create them for yourself.

It would be nice if you had a mandatory “un-doctoring” process on the way out of the office. Imagine you change out of your doctor uniform, wash the doctor off, punch out on the time clock and walk to your car under a massive sign that says “No Doctoring Beyond This Point”.

Until that happens … it is up to you to create your own boundary ritual … a specific action you take at the boundary between work and home that sends an “OFF” signal to your conscious and subconscious mind. This ritual is something you design and practice with the mindful intention that it will switch off the parts of your doctor programming that don’t serve you when you are away from work and stow away the stresses of this day until you return. As you turn the doctor off the possibility of work life balance is turned on.

Three keys to building an effective “OFF” switch

1) Use all your senses

Your boundary ritual ideally contains as many sensory modalities as possible. The four big ones are a movement, a sound, a feeling and an intention.

Examples:

=> The movement can be a deep cleansing breath, a full body shake, lying down for a moment, throw your arms in the air in celebration …
=> The sound can be a deep sigh, horse lips, a favorite verse from a song, “woo hoo” …
=> The feeling can be one of releasing work stresses, letting go, relaxing, gratitude for making it through the day, excitement that you are off now …
=> The intention is to put doctor on pause until you need him/her again … hit “OFF” until you need to hit “ON” next time.

2) Use a “trigger” to help you remember

A trigger is an existing habit – something you always do each time you leave the office or come into your home. You use this as a trigger to remember to do your boundary ritual. Common triggers are …

– Turning your office lights off
– Putting the keys in your car ignition
– Turning the car off when you get home
– Grasping the doorknob of your home

3) Mindfulness and intention

Practice your ritual with mindfulness and a clear intention to release, relax, let go and turn the doctor programming off. You can even say to yourself (or out loud) a short phrase like, “I release the doctor until the next time he/she is needed”.

 

Here are some work life balance boundary ritual examples:

=> Before you sit down and talk with your family, take a shower and/or change your work clothes for home clothes.

=> Take a deep cleansing breath, sink into your seat or give yourself a whole body stretch and an audible sigh as you release the cares of your work day.

=> When you get home you go for a short walk around the block before going in the door and practice using your steps to release work and come to the present, preparing to be with your family.

Now it’s your turn to build your off switch for work life balance

~~ What would you like to use as your first pass at a boundary ritual?

~~ What will you use as your trigger to help you remember your ritual?

~~ When will you try it out?

Remember too that building your own “OFF” switch and creating true work life balance is a  process.

Think about how many years it has been since you first entered medical school … go ahead and count them up. That is how long you have been conditioned to be Always On. It will take some practice and tweaking to refine your boundary ritual into a solid “OFF” switch in your work life balance efforts. 

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT and tell us what you will use as your boundary ritual and here’s to your success in creating work life balance.

Keep breathing and have a great rest of your day.

~ Dike

 

 

TAGGED:physician burnout
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

technology in medical research
The Tools Helping Medical Researchers See the Full Picture
News Technology
August 3, 2025
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025

You Might also Like

Four Life-Changing Ways To Keep Medical Costs Down

July 21, 2015

Promoting Health Literacy in India

February 17, 2013
Medical EducationWellness

7 Ways Of Becoming A Good Mental Health Professional

March 26, 2019
medical education and compassion
Medical Education

Seeing Beyond the Physician’s Words to Their Hearts

October 23, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?