Career
Pathways
Avoiding Burnout
You grew up envisioning yourself as a doctor, serving humanity, so why is it that you just don’t like it anymore? Your emotional and physical exhaustion has reached a level where motivation refuses to exists and is replaced by frustration and stress. There can be many reason why you are at this stage-lay offs have you burning the midnight oil or maybe you are in the wrong profession after all. But the most common reason is the loss of direction. You set out to serve humanity but are now working for a hospital which only elites frequent and even if you want, you can’t serve the poor and ailing outside your air-conditioned clinic.
The stress and frustration eats up your motivation and your willingness to excel. Your inter-personal relations are not so fulfilling nor is your work so rewarding-yet you can not identify the source. This is the classic case of burnout. What to look out for:
1. absenteeism
2. lateness
3. irrational delegation of work
4. And many others…all leading to loss of quality.
The cure: to quit. It may sound impossible but at times there is just no choice. You need to quit and reevaluate yourself. If you think you cannot do anything so drastic, opt for a month long vacation. Other available options are managing time so you can indulge yourself with a hobby you enjoy, keeping a stable temperament, or most importantly, career assessment.
Remember: You are no good to anyone including yourself if you burn the midnight oil with yourself as fuel.
