Many doctors are struggling with burnout, and the problem is only getting worse. UK physicians report high levels of job dissatisfaction and feelings of being overworked and undervalued.
1 This has serious implications for patient care, as burnt out doctors are more likely to make errors, suffer from depression and anxiety, and even leave the profession altogether.2
2.Lifestyle medicine – which focuses on healthy lifestyle choices like diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management – has been shown to be an effective way to prevent and treat burnout.
3 In one study of American doctors, those who adopted a healthy lifestyle had a significantly lower risk of burnout than those who did not.
4 Another study found that doctors who exercised regularly were less likely to experience burnout than those who did not.
5 And a third study found that physicians who followed a healthy diet were also less likely to experience burnout.
6 While there is no silver bullet for the prevention of physician burnout, lifestyle medicine may be a key part of the solution.
