Maintaining wellness as an oncologist: Balancing self-care, recognizing distractions
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
A physician’s job is never done, but for three oncologists, incorporating health, nutrition and mindfulness into their daily lives is vital to maintaining a sense of wellness and being fully present whether at home or work.
Studies have shown that the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified physician burnout and increasing demands both at work and at home over the past 18 months have had a significant impact on female physicians, Amy Comander, MD, told Healio in an interview.
“As I reflect on this period, and the uncertainty that lies ahead, I recognize more than ever the importance of self-care,” said Comander, who serves as co-medical director of Mass General Cancer Center in Waltham and director of breast oncology and cancer survivorship at Mass General Cancer Center in Waltham and Newton Wellesley Hospital. “Self-care must be a priority for all of us in order to improve our overall health and well-being, build resilience and decrease physician burnout. During this time, I have been more intentional about what steps I need to take to help myself, so I can provide the best care for my patients and focus on my most important roles — those of a mother, sister and daughter.”
Among the many important components of self-care, Comander emphasized the need for adequate sleep, physical activity, nutrition, stress management and social connection. She said that focusing on each of these can be daunting for physicians, especially when it comes to making social connections during the pandemic. In 2020, Comander joined a Peloton fitness challenge with physician colleagues, which translated easily to group “virtual rides.”
“With the power of social media, soon our oncology colleagues around the country heard about our Peloton group and expressed interest, and we now have the ‘Women in Oncology Peloton Group,’ where women oncology physicians from all over the country ‘meet’ throughout the week on the bike for group rides,” she said.
‘Invest in the time’
Work-life balance can be a challenge for anyone, physician or otherwise, especially as responsibilities can overlap throughout the day.
Abby R. Rosenberg, MD, MS, MA, associate professor of pediatrics at University of Washington School of Medicine and director of palliative care and resilience research at Seattle Children’s Research Institute, told Healio that she deliberately schedules “me time” each day, which can be as simple as planning when she can get outdoors or exercise, or as complicated as blocking out time on a busy day to catch a breath.
“I know I am not my best self when I am overly stressed, tired or even when I feel like what is important to me is out of balance,” Rosenberg said. “When I am on clinical service, I know that my priorities have to shift to my patients. And that is okay because I know what a privilege it is to care for children with cancer.”
During those weeks, Rosenberg said that her shift to self-care includes walking to and from work to clear her head and reflect. She also takes time to focus on the gratitude she finds in her work and makes plans to catch up with family as much as possible.
“I do want to note that this is a privilege I have as a researcher; most of my time is ‘my own’ to control,” she added. “I chose the job I have in large part for that very reason. It is important to know what brings you meaning and balance. For me it was a career in research. For others, the answer might be different, but the bottom line is still to invest in the time it takes to know yourself and your needs.”
Integration rather than separation
Women in Oncology has spoken to many physicians about how work-life balance can sometimes swing from one side of the spectrum to the other, but it also is important to understand the two areas can sometimes overlap.
Echoing Comander and Rosenberg, Priya Kumthekar, MD, said that she finds keeping her body moving — whether it be set-aside time for a long run or walking to and from work — allows her a mental break and important personal time to let her mind wander free from other duties of her day.
However, she finds that it is not just about taking time to “unplug from work or home life,” but that it’s equally important to understand how to handle necessary distractions. For example, it may be necessary to take a patient call or check a page at dinner, but then return to your family and be fully present in the moment.
“We all work and struggle with this,” Kumthekar, associate professor of neurology and hematology/oncology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg College of Medicine, told Healio. “Even if someone seems to have this great balance, they too struggle with it. You still work at it. It’s like a good marriage.
“Don’t think about how to compartmentalize having wellness and having a job or being in medicine,” she added. “Think more about how they integrate and work together. Reframe how they actually enhance one another and not how they inhibit one another.”
For more information:
Amy Comander, MD, can be reached at acomander@mgh.harvard.edu.
Priya U. Kumthekar, MD, can be reached at priya.kumthekar@nm.org.
Abby R. Rosenberg, MD, MS, MA, can be reached at abby.rosenberg@seattlechildrens.org.
Collapse
Healio Interviews
Read more about
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts