Focus on Physicians:
Insights, Ideas, and Strategies
Connecting With Your Inner Wisdom: A Journaling Guide for Physicians
If you’re a physician, journaling is a wonderful way to access your own thoughts and values, getting in touch with what matters most to you. It’s a form of mindfulness that doesn’t require any skills or knowledge. All you need is a pen and paper and as few as five minutes.
This article is the first in a three-part series. In each one, I’ll share a different collection of journaling prompts designed to help you to connect your own dots and rediscover what truly matters to you. Whether you’re exploring a new professional path, planning for retirement, or seeking greater happiness and satisfaction in your life, these prompts will guide you towards clarity and self-awareness.
An earlier version of this article appeared on this website in January, 2025
With countless demands on your time and attention, it’s easy to ignore your own well-being as you slingshot from one task to the next. After a few months, years, or maybe even decades of living this way, it can be difficult to find your way back to your true self.
I recognize that feeling. During my years in cardiology, I had hobbies, friends, and an active life, but much of it still felt frantic. As I began considering what might come next, I realized how rarely I gave myself time to reflect. Journaling offered a place to begin.
I had tried journaling before, but the habit never stuck for long. The empty pages felt daunting, and I didn’t want another task on my list. So this time, I kept it simple: just 10 minutes a day to sit with my thoughts and put them on paper.
The Power of Journaling: A Path Back to Your True Self
Every evening I would pose questions to myself, trying to unravel the knots that I had tied over the years, until I rediscovered the threads that could lead me to my next steps. And remarkably, the process worked! Through introspection and time, I developed a set of goals and a sequence of tiny little steps that got me farther than I ever could have imagined.
This article is the first in a three-part series. In each one, I’ll share a different collection of journaling prompts designed to help you to connect your own dots and rediscover what truly matters to you. Whether you’re exploring a new professional path, planning for retirement, or seeking greater happiness and satisfaction in your life, I hope these prompts will guide you towards clarity and self-awareness.
Getting Started with Journaling
Journaling is a wonderful way to access your own thoughts and values, getting in touch with what matters most to you. It’s a form of mindfulness that doesn’t require any skills or knowledge. All you need is a pen and paper and as few as five minutes.
Why do I say pen and paper, and not a keyboard? Because research has convincingly shown that writing by hand is far more activating for the brain than typing. Newer devices that save and transcribe handwriting, like the reMarkable, may help to bridge the gap between analogue and tech. If writing doesn’t come easily, you could also experiment with dictation. Most important is that you find something that works for you and feels comfortable and natural.
Journaling to Uncover Your Next Steps
This series of prompts will help you to reflect on your values and your sense of purpose, realigning the trajectory your life into something that feels resonant and clear.
For a kick start, if you haven’t already completed the Values Workbook, this is a great time to begin that exercise. You can get your free copy through my website.
You don’t need to respond to every prompt. There’s a lot to ponder here! Perhaps choose one or two for the week and see where it takes you.
Exploring Your Values
What do I value most about my role as a physician? Are these values reflected in my daily work and life? If not, what changes would need to happen in order for my values to be aligned with my work?
If I could describe the legacy I want to leave in one sentence, what would it be? How do I want people to remember me?
When have I felt most fulfilled in my career? What about those moments made them meaningful?
Clarifying Your Purpose
Why did I choose to become a physician? Does that "why" still resonate with me today? If it has changed, does it still feel true? And if not, what is missing?
What parts of my work energize me the most? How can I focus more on these aspects?
How does my work align with my personal definition of success? Where am I now in relation to that definition?
Evaluating Your Current Path
If my current career trajectory continued for the next 10 years, would I feel proud and content with my life?
What sacrifices am I making to sustain my current career path, and are they worth it?
Are there aspects of my personal life or passions that I’ve neglected? How can I reintegrate them?
Imagining the Future
If I could design my ideal work-life balance, what would it look like? What small steps could I take to get closer to that vision? What could I do today that would start to change things?
Imagine a day in your dream life. What are you doing, who are you with, and how do you feel?
What skills or interests do I have that I’m not currently using in my career? How might I incorporate them? And what skills do I wish I had? Are they important enough that I want to explore how to acquire them?
Confronting Barriers
What fears or doubts are holding me back from making a change I know I need? Are these fears grounded in reality? If so, is there something within my power to change?
Who or what am I afraid of disappointing if I follow my heart? How might I address that fear?
What is the worst that could happen if I pursued a career change or took on a new role? What strategies could I take to mitigate that? Are there other opportunities that outcome might open up for me?
Building Resilience and Courage
When have I faced significant challenges and grown from them? What strengths did I discover?
What does courage look like for me right now? How can I embody it in my decisions?
Who in my life inspires me to live authentically? What lessons can I learn from them?
Finding Alignment
Are there moments in my work when I feel disconnected from my authentic self? How can I realign?
How do I want to feel at the end of each day? What changes would help me experience that feeling more often?
What small, actionable steps can I take this week to bring more meaning into my work and life?
Cultivating Gratitude and Joy
What aspects of my career am I most grateful for? How can I focus more on these positives?
When was the last time I felt joy in my personal or professional life? What contributed to that moment?
What can I do today to make space for more joy and connection in my life?
In the next article in this series, I’ll share prompts to guide your exploration of personal projects, family connections, and meaningful relationships. The final article of the series explores journaling to envision your future.
If these prompts have been useful, or if you have some of your own that you’d like to share, drop me a line! I’d love to hear from you.
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If you’ve enjoyed this article and would like to stay in the loop for more insights on creating a sustainable, fulfilling, and happy life as a physician, sign up for my newsletter or reach out on my website. I’d love to hear from you.
And if you’d like to schedule a complimentary coaching discovery session, click the button below.
It’s Time to Talk About Physician Work-Life Balance
For many physicians, work-life balance (WLB) is the elephant in the room. In 2022, 85% of physicians finishing residency cited work-life balance as their number one consideration when choosing a job.
Dissatisfaction with WLB is strongly correlated with burnout, and is a common reason that many physicians choose to leave their current practice. Although women physicians tend to rate WLB as somewhat more important than men, among millennials it is a top priority for both genders. Yet physicians often avoid raising this crucial issue with potential employers and even colleagues for fear of being judged.
In this article I’ll give you nine ways to create your own version of work-life balance.
An earlier version of this article appeared on Doximity, where I was a 2022-2023 Op-Med Fellow.
For many physicians, work-life balance is a top priority. In 2018, 63% of physicians finishing residency programs cited it as their most important consideration when choosing a job, according to CHG Healthcare. In 2022, it was 85%, a number that has held steady as of 2025. At the same time, work-life balance can be an uncomfortable topic to raise with new employers or associates.
Concern about work-life balance crosses all demographics, even if it’s not always discussed. Although women physicians tend to rate work-life balance as somewhat more important than men, it is a top priority for millennial physicians across genders.
Work-life balance has important ramifications that extend well beyond personal happiness. Dissatisfaction with work-life balance is strongly associated with burnout and is a common reason physicians leave their practices. This means that inadequate attention to work-life balance can be costly to the healthcare system as well as a loss for patients whose lives depend on access to high quality, consistent care.
Yet physicians often avoid raising this crucial issue with potential employers and even colleagues for fear of being judged and found lacking.
The Fear of Judgment is Real
That fear is not unfounded. Providing timely care sometimes requires personal sacrifice: a sleepless night on call, a canceled outing when a patient becomes critically ill, or family time spent completing charts. These are daily realities for many physicians. The profession is demanding and the stakes are high.
But occasional sacrifice is different from routinely setting aside your own well-being, or that of your family and loved ones, as proof of devotion to a “higher calling.” Physicians often internalize this expectation, while healthcare institutions may reinforce it through an always-on culture that idealizes self-sacrifice without adequately supporting or compensating for it.
In a profession built on teamwork, even expressing a desire for greater balance can feel risky. Physicians may worry that colleagues will see them as weak, lazy, or unwilling to do their share.
There will always be times when a sick patient must take priority. But acknowledging that you also want time for your health, relationships, and interests does not make you less committed to your practice. Creating a more sustainable life can strengthen your relationships, extend your professional longevity, and help you continue giving patients your best.
Tangible Benefits of Seeking Balance
Research shows that not only do people who make time for family, hobbies, and health feel a greater sense of balance, but they may also provide better care.
⚖️ A British study found that employees who engaged in creative activities were more likely to discover creative solutions to problems at work.
⚖️ A study of nearly 300 ICU staff members, including physicians, found that those who engaged in hobbies experienced less post-traumatic stress.
⚖️ A German study reported that those physicians with better work-life balance were less likely to experience burnout and more motivated to stay in the profession, contributing to a stronger healthcare workforce.
⚖️ And a Duke study found that higher work-life balance measures among hospital staff, including physicians, correlated with greater patient safety and improved teamwork.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there can be serious consequences to ignoring your life outside of medicine. A study of members of the American College of Surgeons published in 2012 found that those with conflicts between work and home life were more than twice as likely to experience burnout and depression. Experiencing this conflict also meant that the surgeons surveyed were more likely to leave their current practice.
A 2025 meta-analysis including studies of physicians from around the globe reported similar findings. The importance of creating policies that promote work-life balance along with tools for financial security and mental health were emphasized by the authors.
What Does Work-Life Balance Look Like for You?
Work-life balance is deeply personal. It often shifts with life’s seasons.
Parents of young children might prioritize family time and set hobbies and career growth aside for a while.
New physicians may need to focus on building their patient base and refining their skills.
Ambitious physicians seeking leadership roles might accept that these positions come with time demands that require meaningful trade-offs.
Later-career physicians may be eager to explore passions or relationships outside of medicine that they previously neglected.
Whatever your circumstances, achieving balance starts with acknowledging your needs and crafting a plan to meet them.
Discovering Balance
Here are some things to consider as you begin to define what balance means for you:
✅Acknowledge Your Needs: Wanting more from life doesn’t make you less dedicated. You’re allowed to be a doctor and a spouse, parent, or adventurer.
✅Create a Plan: Start small. Identify what balance looks like for you right now, and map out achievable steps to get there.
✅Reassess Your Practice: Are there opportunities to cut back hours or take a regular day off? Could changing roles or even employers help you reclaim time?
✅Delegate Wisely: Hire help where needed. That could mean a scribe, a babysitter, a dog walker, or a housecleaner. Small investments in assistance can free you for the things that matter most.
✅Reevaluate Your Commute: Use your travel time for audiobooks, meditation, or CME. Or consider moving closer to work to reclaim precious hours.
✅Say No Strategically: Not every committee or project is worth the sacrifice. Be intentional about the responsibilities you take on.
✅Embrace Imperfection: You don’t need to dive headfirst into a new hobby. Start small. ten minutes of yoga, a quick walk, or a short meditation can work wonders.
✅Limit Distractions: Set a limit on your social media apps and screen time. Replace mindless scrolling with meaningful activities, whether it’s reading, journaling, spending time with loved ones, or pursuing a creative interest.
✅Try Something New: Join a workshop or pick up a hobby you’ve always been curious about. The joy of learning can be invigorating, and may even open up new ways of thinking.
✅Book a Getaway: Set a date, buy a ticket, and commit to taking time off. The anticipation alone can be rejuvenating.
Taking the First Step
No matter what work-life balance means to you, realize that an ideal balance looks different for each person. It can change over the course of a lifetime.
The most important way to achieve the balance you’re seeking is to put your ideas into action. Small but deliberate steps can move you in new directions, without requiring a big commitment. And you may find that in the process, you generate more joy, creativity, and resilience in your medical practice.
If you’ve enjoyed this article and would like to stay in the loop for more insights on creating a sustainable, fulfilling, and happy life as a physician, sign up for my newsletter or reach out on my website. I’d love to hear from you.
And if you’d like to schedule a complimentary coaching discovery session, click the button below.
References
2025 Physician Sentiment Survey: Engagement and retention. (n.d.). https://chghealthcare.com/resources/physician-sentiment-engagement-retention
Bodendieck, E., Jung, F. U., Conrad, I., Riedel-Heller, S. G., & Hussenoeder, F. S. (2022). The work-life balance of general practitioners as a predictor of burnout and motivation to stay in the profession. BMC primary care, 23(1), 218. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-022-01831-7
Thimmapuram, J. R., Grim, R., Bell, T., Benenson, R., Lavallee, M., Modi, M., Noll, D., & Salter, R. (2019). Factors Influencing Work-Life Balance in Physicians and Advance Practice Clinicians and the Effect of Heartfulness Meditation Conference on Burnout. Global advances in health and medicine, 8, 2164956118821056. https://doi.org/10.1177/2164956118821056
When Work Follows You Home: The Hidden Cost of “Work-Life Integration”
With the rise of EHRs and telemedicine, the term "work-life integration" rapidly has become an administrative buzzword. However, for physicians who are expected to be always on duty, this approach can paradoxically increase stress and decrease balance.
In this article, I’ll explore why work-life integration might not be the promised panacea for getting it all done.
An earlier version of this article appeared on this website in August, 2024
Unless you’ve been in practice for decades, you may not remember a time when work didn’t follow you home. EHRs, patient portals, and telemedicine are part of the everyday fabric of medical practice. Over time, these tools, first touted as efficiency builders, have changed not only how care is delivered, but also where work lives, increasingly extending into the time and space that once allowed for rest and recovery.
The Myth of Seamless Integration
Against this backdrop, “work-life integration” has been offered as a solution. Rather than separating work from personal life, the generally well-meaning idea is to blend the two to create flexibility and make it easier to manage competing demands.
In theory, it sounds reasonable. But in practice, it often means something else entirely.
For physicians, integration rarely looks like meaningful flexibility. More commonly, it translates to constant accessibility. This often means responding to patient messages, completing documentation, and managing administrative tasks outside of scheduled work hours, or even on vacation.
As a result, work doesn’t simply shift location. It expands. And over time, that expansion has become normalized and often expected.
The Professional Cost of Always Being “On”
The concept of work-life integration encourages multitasking, which science has shown to be a misnomer.
Multitasking in fact isn’t true parallel processing. In reality it’s rapid task-switching. And that comes at a well-defined cost:
increased cognitive load
decreased focus
reduced accuracy
fatigue
This common scenario is a set up for:
Impaired decision-making
But beyond that, there’s a deeper cost. When you are continuously stretched, your capacity for empathy, curiosity, and engagement begins to narrow. Work begins to feel more transactional and less sustainable. And everyone, from your patients, to your loved ones and family, and yourself, suffers.
The Illusion of Flexibility
Personal time exists for a reason. By definition, it makes room for the parts of your life that cannot be fulfilled at work. Ironically, work-life integration is often marketed as freedom. But let’s be honest about how it plays out. You’re probably not bringing your toddler or your elderly mother to your office. And you’re not taking a walk with your EHR.
Personal time is where you:
connect with family
rest and recover
move your body
nurture your spirituality
engage in relationships and activities that require your full attention
These are not things that can be meaningfully “integrated” with clinical work.
More often, the flow is one-directional. Work spills into life, shrinking and fragmenting the limited space that remains.
And over time, something subtle but important happens: You are no longer fully present anywhere.
A More Honest Path Forward
If we want physicians to thrive, we need to move beyond language that sounds good but doesn’t hold up in practice.
For healthcare systems, this means:
reducing unnecessary administrative burden
minimizing “click work”
allowing support staff to manage appropriate tasks
creating environments where focus, not fragmentation, is supported
For physicians, it means reclaiming boundaries: protecting your attention, your energy, and your capacity to think clearly, and to care.
The Bottom Line
The concept of “work-life integration” is not inherently harmful. But it often becomes a justification for constant availability, and that is not sustainable. When work is everywhere, it becomes difficult to be fully present anywhere.
To sustain balance, you need a center of gravity. That comes from creating the conditions for both your work and your personal life to fully exist, so that your time, energy, and attention are not continuously claimed by one at the expense of the other.
Remember that balance is not just about managing your work; it’s also about nurturing and protecting what gives your life meaning and joy.
If you’ve enjoyed this article and would like to stay in the loop for more insights on creating a sustainable, fulfilling, and happy life as a physician, sign up for my newsletter or reach out on my website. I’d love to hear from you.
If you’d like to learn more about my coaching practice, you can schedule a complimentary introductory meeting by clicking the link below.
How to Find Your Creative Spark: A Guide for Physicians
As physicians, we learn to practice from an evidence-based standpoint, checking the data, keeping up with the literature, and following carefully researched guidelines. But as crucial to good patient care as this is, providing the best care requires the ability to go deeper, connecting a series of disparate dots, asking probing questions, and creating trust.
Having your own creative practice can stimulate this stronger connection by giving you tools and insights that come from a less rigid view of the world. And at the same time, creativity can be a refuge, offering an escape and a form of mindfulness that is often difficult to access in our precision-driven world.
An earlier version of this article appeared on this website in January, 2024
As physicians, we learn to practice from an evidence-based standpoint, checking the data, keeping up with the literature, and following carefully researched guidelines. But as crucial to good patient care as this is, providing the best care requires the ability to go deeper, connecting a series of disparate dots, asking probing questions, and creating trust.
Having your own creative practice can stimulate this stronger connection by giving you tools and insights that come from a less rigid view of the world. In fact, a British study found that people who engaged in creative activities at home were more likely to discover creative solutions to problems at work.
Creativity can also serve as a refuge, offering an escape and a form of mindfulness that is often difficult to access in our precision and productivity driven world. And sometimes it leads you farther than you ever imagined. For example, after retiring from clinical practice, I followed my passion for photography and the arts, eventually completing a BFA degree. I’m currently immersed in an MFA program, which has opened new doors for me that I never knew existed.
You don’t need to have special skills or innate talent to begin your creative practice. And you definitely don’t have to pursue higher education. It can be something that you do for yourself alone. But once you get started, you may find that your imagination awakens, opening your mind to new techniques and ideas that might never have occurred to you if not for this artistic exploration.
Here are some simple ways to inspire and nurture your inner artist:
Just Get Started
Getting started may sound simple, but overcoming inertia can be the hardest part. You don’t need a grand plan, a fancy camera, or a fully equipped studio. Just begin and set the wheels in motion. Your first step doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be taken. After that, the next steps often reveal themselves.
Embrace Imperfection
Check your perfectionism at the door. For people immersed in the creative arts, imperfection is not just accepted; it’s often celebrated. Express, explore, and learn. Give yourself the freedom to make mistakes and be messy. This is a crucial part of the creative journey, and it’s how new ideas are generated.
Inspiration Appears While You’re Working
Waiting for inspiration is like waiting for the perfect moment – it rarely comes when you're idle. To borrow a phrase from mindfulness meditation, creativity is about being in the now. As Picasso is famously quoted, “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” The muse, that elusive spark of creativity, is not impressed by your aspirations. She finds you when you’re in the messy midst of creation.
Set Aside Time for Creativity
Schedule your creative time just like you would for any appointment. Whether it’s 30 minutes every evening or a few hours on Saturday afternoon, having a dedicated slot for creativity can open windows in your mind and give you room to explore. If time feels tight, commit to simply 10 minutes each week, and see where that takes you.
Explore Different Creative Avenues
Creativity means different things to different people. You might enjoy writing, while someone else might find solace in painting, dancing, or playing an instrument. Simply wandering around intentionally with your phone’s camera can be a form of creative play. If you have time, taking a weekend class in pottery or some other art form could be a fun place to start. If you’re not sure how to start, allow yourself to experiment with different forms of creative expression. You might be surprised by what resonates for you.
Join a Creative Community
There's something magical about being part of a community that shares your passion. Look for local art classes, writing groups, photography clubs, or online forums. Share your work, get feedback, and enjoy the collective creative energy. A community can offer support, inspiration, and a sense of belonging. And unlike your practice as a physician, no one will expect you to be perfect or have all the answers.
Pause, Reflect and Adjust
Every now and then, take a step back and reflect on your creative journey. Stay curious. What have you learned? What do you enjoy the most? Where has your creativity taken you? You might choose to keep a creative journal to celebrate your milestones, explore the unexpected detours, and maybe even recalibrate your goals.
Final Thoughts
Integrating creativity into your life isn’t just about producing something; it’s about the process, the joy, and the journey of self-discovery it brings. It can be a form of meditative practice, and an escape hatch from the rigidity of a schedule and a task list.
As a physician, you have a unique perspective of the world, shaped by your experiences and the people whose lives you’ve touched. Infusing this perspective into your creative endeavors can lead to something unexpected, tangible, and uniquely yours. By exploring your creativity without self-judgment, you may find that the insights you discover enrich and deepen your relationships with others, including your loved ones, patients, and colleagues.
If you’ve enjoyed this article and would like to stay in the loop for more insights on creating a sustainable, fulfilling, and happy life as a physician, sign up for my newsletter or reach out on my website. I’d love to hear from you.
And if you’d like to schedule a complimentary introductory meeting with me, click the link below.