Work-Life Balance for Doctors: Books for Doctors

By Susan Kersley

As a doctor, you should know:

What does work-life balance mean for you? How to improve your work-life balance.

It's vital to look after yourself so that you are better able to look after your patients.

This book, expanded from the original version, and written by a retired doctor and life coach, guides you through changes you can make to improve your work-life balance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Susan Kersley
• Release date: Mar 17, 2024
• ISBN: 9798201350543

Susan Kersley

Susan Kersley has written personal development and self-help books for doctors and others, and books about retirement and novels. She was a doctor for thirty years and then left Medicine to be a Life Coach.. Now retired, she is updating her books and writing more. Please visit her website https://susankersley.co.uk If you enjoyed this book, please take a moment to leave a review. Reviews are so important for independent authors.

Book preview

Work-Life Balance for Doctors

Susan Kersley

Table of Contents

1. Work-life balance.

2.  Wheel of Life.

3. Career

4. Money

5. Health and well-being.

6. Friends and family.

7. Significant other or partner.

8. Spirituality and personal growth.

9. Fun and recreation.

10. Community and environment.

11. Benefits of work-life balance.

12. Be a doctor and have a life.

13. What stops you?

14. Case Studies.

15. Case Study 1.

16. Case study 2.

17.  Plan your day.

18. Achieving better work-life balance.

19. Work-life balance and you.

20. What does BALANCE stand for?

21. Improve your work-life balance.

22. Don’t neglect your hobbies.

23. Finally.

1.  Work-life balance.

Work-life balance is defined as, ‘adjusting working patterns so that everyone can find the rhythm they need to combine work with their other responsibilities and aspirations’.  It is the harmonious relationship between the demands of work and the needs of personal life.

A good work-life balance, a life outside of medicine as well as inside it, to be fulfilled and happy, is vitally important for every doctor. When you look after yourself you are better able to look after your patients.

Think about your own life and what a decent work-life balance means to you. 

As a doctor, you should know:

What work-life balance mean for you.

Ways to improve your work-life balance.

A good work-life balance includes:

Time with partner, family, and friends.

Being involved in community activities.

Looking after your body, mind, and spirit.

Working in a fulfilling profession.

Having enough money.

Enjoying life.

What is a good work-life balance for you?

Consider the different parts of your life and ask yourself what you need to do to achieve balance in your life. Decide on your options for change, whether you are prepared to act, and what your first steps will be in those areas of your life.

Work-life balance is like a beam balanced on a fulcrum. It can be a challenge to keep the beam balanced and level.  Think about what pushes your beam especially when you try to fulfil the demands made of you as you try to cope as a busy medical practitioner.

The stress of work pushes one way. These may be demands made by patients and colleagues, about your duties.

Consider requests made on you out of work, for example, the sort of obligations that you have to your family and friends, and your community. These may be things you feel you have to do rather than things you want to do. You won't be able to eliminate all of them. However, to allow the beam to go the other way, think what you want and what you enjoy doing, to bring more balance into your life.

Within the culture of medicine, there is a tendency to believe that work must take precedence over everything else and that you have to say yes to every demand made of you. This can result in having to work very long hours and taking work home or going to work on Saturday or Sunday, too.

Do you recognise any of these patterns in your life, or have you noticed them in colleagues?

If your beam is always being pushed towards the work side, this has a huge effect on both your physical and emotional health. You may continue to feel an increasing lack of control over your work and be ‘firefighting’ rather than doing things you want to do. When your physical and emotional health suffers, then the standard of your work decreases, and you feel increasing stress both at home and at work.

Why is it important to improve your work-life balance? When you manage stress more effectively, then you have more time for leisure activities and hobbies.

You have better relationships with colleagues, friends, and family. You are better organised at home and work and more organised in your finances. You clear more clutter and streamline your activities.

When your work and life are more balanced, you improve the care of your body, mind, and spirit. You are more efficient in your work. You feel much happier and less stressed, and your time management improves.

What are the most important results of having a good work-life balance?

Improved time management.

Clear boundaries.

Looking after yourself.

In today's demanding healthcare environment, you may often find yourself juggling the demands of your profession with the desire to maintain a healthy work-life balance. The pressure to constantly deliver high-quality care, meet tight deadlines, and stay up to date with the latest medical advances can take a toll on your well-being. Finding a balance between work and personal