Any work can turn into a stressful job if you do not know how to handle finding an equitable work-life balance. From workplace anger to workplace stress, understanding the signs of physical exhaustion and and signs of job burnout. And while many jobs are stressful, many would say that people who work in the healthcare profession may be the most susceptible to these problems. Physicians, in fact, are some of the people who experience the most stress from their job.
A recent study reported that 45.8% of physicians are considered to be experiencing at least one burnout symptom. From caring for patients to sitting with families as they make difficult life decisions, a doctor has a career that seems to never take a break. They can get called in for an emergency when they are preparing to host a Christmas piano recital in their home; they may be tied to a 30 mile radius of the hospital each of the two weekends of the month that they are on call; they might be faced with delivering devastating news to one or more patients on a weekly, or even more frequent, basis.
Stressful jobs take a toll on employees, customers, and patients, so it is important to recognize the signs and find a way to successfully deal with them. From getting enough exercise and rest, to making sure that you are eating healthy meals and planning vacations whenever possible, coping with a successful job takes a concentrated effort.
Consider some of these facts and figures about the stress that is present in some medical professions, other careers, and the reason that so many advice making sure that workers watch for signs that they may be experiencing workplace stress or burnout:
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- 35.2% is the current overall burnout rate among U.S. physicians, but physicians aged 35 and under have a burnout rate as high as 44%.
- Medical students report a rate of depression that’s 15% to 30% higher than the general population, according to a recent study.
- Physicians have a 10% to 20% higher divorce rate than the general population.
- Female physicians rated themselves higher on the physician burnout scale at 55%. This percentage compares to male physicians who rate themselves at 45%.
- Workplace stress causes approximately one million U.S. employees to miss work each day.
Whether you are a doctor, a nurse, a pastor, or a teacher, it is important to monitor your stress levels and ask for help when you need it. Every worker who is at a stressful job should be certain that they care for themselves so that they can find the right work-life balance.