Introverts and Healthcare Burnout: Finding Career Clarity to Improve Satisfaction
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Career Clarity
When facing burnout, two of the greatest gifts you can give yourself as an introvert in healthcare are awareness and clarity.
The career journey in medicine, especially for physicians, is somewhat linear. Undergraduate degree, medical school, residency, fellowship. Check, check, check, maybe.
This all adds up to outside forces shaping much of your career. Consider how you moved through each stage of your professional journey. Most of the time, your focus has been on how you can fit into someone else’s box with little regard for your preferences or needs.
It’s not surprising that you may have spent little, if any, time thinking about what constitutes a fulfilling career for you.
Do you know you’re not happy with your current situation, but can’t quite envision your ideal career? Let’s change that.
Finding clarity may be your first step toward addressing burnout and getting excited about health care again.
How to Start Creating Career Clarity
Identify your core values.
This phrase gets thrown around a lot, but what does it mean?
Core values are the fundamental principles that guide how you behave in the world. They help define who you are, what you stand for, and how you’ll deal with difficult situations.
You can approach this exploration from two perspectives. First, consider the overarching values that guide your life as a whole. Then, use this knowledge to determine how important it is for those values to translate in your career.
For example, if one of your core values is freedom, a role in which you don’t have control over your schedule or how you approach problem-solving can present a challenge. If you value adventure, you likely won’t be satisfied in a situation where most days are routine and predictable.
There’s no right or wrong here. The important thing is getting to know what feels “right” for you.
Check Your Environment
Introverts are constantly taking in and processing information from their environment. This is helpful - and not. It can result in over-stimulation that affects career satisfaction and performance.
People often wonder which careers are best for introverts. There isn’t a straightforward answer.
Your work environment can be just as influential as the tasks expected of you. A particular healthcare specialty isn’t the sole determinant of whether you’ll be happy in your career.
Patient flow, team dynamics, and the availability of quiet workspaces can influence how you feel at the end of the day. Depending on the size of your office, something as simple as having TVs playing in patient areas can create distraction and disrupt your focus.
Consider the physical and cultural environment you’re exposed to on a daily basis.
Know Your Strengths
Knowing the value you bring to your patients and colleagues can greatly influence your perception of job satisfaction.
The more you recognize your contribution to upleveling the healthcare experience for all involved, the more satisfaction you’ll experience at the end of the day.
Introverts tend to bring attentive listening, keen observational skills, and thoughtful analysis to their work. When you appreciate the degree of service you provide when you’re at your best, it’s only logical that you’d want to advocate for yourself.
Putting Clarity into Action to Thrive as an Introvert
Once you’ve created clarity, it’s time to explore whether or not you can shape your current situation to be more aligned with your values.
Communicate Your Needs
Introverts typically don’t want to be the loudest person in the room. That’s OK, but you still have to speak up.
There’s a difference between making a demand and making a request. The latter has the benefit of recognizing you won’t always get what you want, but you’ve still created greater understanding by voicing your needs and preferences.
For example, you can let people know you prefer shorter meetings with a preset agenda, written rather than verbal communication when possible, or protected focus time.
Letting people know how you function best also helps avoid misunderstandings. For instance, when people understand your need for quiet and alone time, a closed door can be seen as a simple reminder of your desire to recharge rather than as a barrier to connection and collaboration.
Cater to Your Strengths
After identifying your strengths, consider how you can adjust your current routine and incorporate more activities that use those strengths.
Within your current role, which parts of your job do you find most satisfying? Explore ways to incorporate more rewarding activities into your day while letting go of some of the more onerous or taxing duties.
You will never love all parts of your job, but you can play with ways to do more of what lights you up.
Maybe you love the face-to–face of patient care, but not the required documentation. Could working with a well-trained and trusted scribe lessen your computer time so you have more time to deploy your fabulous listening skills?
Perhaps working to your strengths means adjusting your weekly schedule so you can incorporate other interests, such as writing or teaching, into your career mix.
Creating career clarity is an ongoing process. Your needs and preferences may change over time. Revisit your values and determine whether your career aligns with your ultimate aspirations.
If your current situation becomes untenable, you can use this same process when exploring future opportunities. Identify your values, determine your needs, and know your strengths.
Take advantage of your natural tendencies toward curiosity and learning. Let yourself explore work cultures, specialties, and other career opportunities that let your introvert superpowers shine.
Want to learn more about introvert strengths and weaknesses in the healthcare setting? Check out this blog.
Give yourself a retreat in the middle of your busy day with my Quickie Retreat Workbook. You can access it for free here.
Ready for 1:1 support from someone who understands your empathic nature? Learn more about working with me here.