Thread by @DrBryanLeyva

A thread about burnout 🧵

I recently went on a Euro trip to try to address feelings of burnout. I hadn’t traveled in 2 years, which is the longest I’ve ever gone without travel. I left to escape and to attend my bros wedding. It would be lie to say the trip wasn’t amazing.

After the trip I actually felt a bit better.

My biggest disappointment though was coming back and within a few days going right back to where I was before the trip.

“Everywhere you go, there you are.” As much as you try to run from yourself, it’s impossible. You can suppress your feelings and trauma while on vacation, but none of those feelings actually go away unless you work THROUGH them.

“Vacation” does not address job burnout, unless you change jobs or you’ve made changes to allow you to better manage your existing job. Going away in and of itself doesn’t fix it.

Systems change takes a while, so as we push to change the systemic drivers of burnout, we have to invest in ourselves. We have to take time to work through our trauma, emotions, thoughts, maladaptive behaviors, grief, and any problems in our lives.

We have to take the time to develop systems to allow us to better manage our work and everything else that has led us to where we are now.

And so here’s what I realized: I can’t continue pretending I’m okay, when I’m not. I love doctoring. I love seeing patients, but I’m not happy doing it right now— at least how I used to be. And so that’s my cue. And I have to listen to it.

I scheduled a meeting with my Program Director and got approval for extended leave — 7 weeks, but I’m willing to take as long as it takes. I’m going to invest in me during this time, so that I can heal and in turn be the best healer for others I can be. //The End//