Physiatrist Work-Life Balance

Physiatry plays a significant role in the lives of many, as physiatrists use their expertise to treat patients with musculoskeletal issues through non-invasive treatment plans. While physiatry careers are often demanding with the workload and number of patients providers see, it is a rewarding profession. With how busy working in PM&R can be, maintaining a healthy work-life balance is critical to ensuring doctors and staff can care for themselves and their patients without losing focus on one or the other.

When you work as a physiatrist through Medrina, you enjoy a work-life balance that works for you. Medrina offers Physiatrists a number of different resources (proprietary EHR system, compliance, and more) allowing them to focus on treating patients instead of cumbersome workflow activities and details, saving time and energy. As Medrina founder and CEO Dr. Amish Patel says- “Great patient care starts with great provider care.” Learn more about why this stability is so vital for your physiatry career longevity and how you can achieve a work-life balance while working in this field.

Why Work-Life Balance as a Physiatrist Is Important

As a physiatrist in the field, you know how busy work can get. Often, you only have a little time to yourself before you're back with patients again, and the list of tasks to do may seem endless. Maintaining a work-life balance is integral to your well-being. When people in the workforce have a well-balanced schedule between work and life outside of work, they are generally happier, more productive, and less stressed. Luckily, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Physiatry) as a medical specialty is commonly associated with great work/life balance, with many physiatrists opting to work just 4 days a week.

Benefits of Physiatry Work-Life Balance

Balancing work and life helps physiatrists and others working in the health care field have a way to separate their personal lives from their work. Benefits of having a healthy work-life balance as a physiatrist include:

1. Improved Physical and Mental Health

A work-life balance gives you more opportunities to improve your overall well-being. With more time outside work to focus on taking care of yourself and spending time with loved ones, you can enhance your physical and mental health. Working a standard set of hours allows you to plan your activities around your work schedule. Depending on your hours, you could participate in sports or clubs that help you relax and recharge your mind and body.

Having more time to do things you love outside of work can reduce your stress levels and the risk of burnout, which is common in demanding careers like physiatry. Too much stress at work can cause emotional exhaustion, making it challenging for physiatrists to connect with their patients. Preventing burnout is critical to ensuring you can properly treat your patients as a medical professional while protecting your well-being.

2. Increased Job Satisfaction

Balancing your work and personal life can also make you feel more satisfied with your job. Having time to rest and recharge after work without being burdened by work-related issues during off-hours helps you come into work the next day feeling fresher and more optimistic. You can feel confident about achieving your professional goals as a physiatrist without sacrificing your personal life.

3. Enhanced Productivity and Focus

A good work-life balance enables you to be more focused and productive during the day. Well-rested employees are typically less stressed and have more morale to provide excellent patient service. This increased morale also helps improve your efficiency and effectiveness in patient care because you and your physiatry team can focus on tasks better.

4. Career Longevity and Sustainability

With a great work-life balance, you can prolong your career as a physiatrist. The benefits of work-life balance that prevent burnout and increase job satisfaction may help you continue to be passionate about working in the physiatry field. You may also find a renewed love for the job because you can take the time to do things in your personal life.

A job with an excellent work-life balance also gives you more time to stay up to date with the latest advances in the physiatry field and engage in career development and growth activities.

Tips for Achieving Work-Life Balance in Physiatry

You could do several things so that your career and personal life work harmoniously, including:

1. Practice Time Management

Time management is key to achieving goals and preventing burnout in both your work and personal life. Some strategies you could practice at work include:

• Prioritizing tasks: Organize the tasks you must complete at work in order of importance to ensure you finish the most critical ones first.
• Utilizing technology: If there is technology you can use to help make your work more efficient, you should use it. Technology will make your job easier since it can automate more administrative duties.
• Leveraging Peer Resources: One of the best ways to maintain a solid work-life balance is to learn and incorporate strategies that other providers have found work for them. When first starting out or after a change in work environments, new workflows and processes can feel daunting. By leveraging the experience of those that have been there before, you can expedite your own path to effective time management. 

Similarly, you can use time management techniques to ensure your personal life doesn't affect your work too much. For example, you could prioritize tasks to complete outside of work during your free time. You could also set boundaries with your family or friends so that you don't receive unnecessary communication during work unless it's an emergency.

2. Practice Self-Care

Maintaining your health is crucial to ensuring you can continue practicing the profession you love for a long time. Your work-life balance allows you to stay proactive about your health while giving you more leeway to handle your personal responsibilities. Some self-care practices you could follow to achieve an excellent work-life balance include:

• Incorporating daily exercise into your routine: Stay active, whether by walking every day or completing full workouts, to keep your mind and body in shape. Exercise helps you stay on your feet, which is especially important since you often move around a lot when working with different patients.
• Following healthy habits: Ensure you eat a healthy diet and get enough sleep to feel rested. Practicing these healthy habits helps improve your mental, physical, and emotional health.
• Seeking support and delegating responsibilities: You are not alone. If you need time to yourself or additional help with personal tasks, don't be afraid to ask your family or friends for help.

Enjoy Balance by Becoming a Physiatrist With Medrina

Your career in physiatry shouldn't be limited to focusing on the job 24/7. A proper work-life balance is crucial to ensuring your work life as a physiatrist and personal life integrate in a healthy way, giving you a break and a chance to relax after work. If you want to work in an environment that promotes a healthy work-life balance, consider joining Medrina. We offer flexible scheduling options to ensure our physiatrists and staff can pursue professional development opportunities and maintain their health and well-being.

Learn more about your work-life balance opportunities when employed with Medrina by connecting with us today!