The story of the “Two Lumberjacks” is a simple yet indelible tale that often bounces around in my mind when I am thinking about productivity and work-life balance.
According to the narrative, a question of who could cut more wood came up between two lumberjacks. The first man was a young, muscular, and powerful man. The second was an older man of smaller stature, but a wise veteran of logging. As the competition began, the larger lumberjack noticed that the smaller lumberjack would stop and take breaks from time to time. The burly lumberjack strategized in his mind that this would be the best time to push himself and get ahead of the smaller lumberjack. Every time the smaller logger went to take a break, the big powerful man ramped up his effort and powered through more logs.
At the end of the day, however, when the number of felled logs were tallied, the smaller lumberjack won convincingly. The massive lumberjack argued that the smaller lumberjack must have cheated. ” With his face now as red as a beet, the big man bellowed, “Tell me how you could have beat me! I worked the whole way through while you were off taking a nap.” The smaller lumberjack refuted the challenger’s assumption and shared the secret he used to defeat the bigger lumberjack. “While I was on my small breaks I simply sharpened my axe. It was the sharp and trued edge on my axe that allowed me to easily cut through more wood than you.” The smaller woodsman won by simply being efficient at every phase of his work.
You may ask yourself the questions: How many people are searching for a balance between their work and life?
And is that balance really THAT important?
Modern day lumberjacks
There are several medical journals that have shed light on the pressures faced by medical professionals and how those increasing pressures have led to burnout. One such journal outlines a concerning trend in a group of PA’s that were assessed by the Maslach Burnout Inventory tool (MBI). The subject Physician Assistants were psychologically assessed using Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) tool. The research showed that in the group of Physicians Assistants 30.5% were feeling emotionally exhausted, 24.5% felt depersonalized, and only 2% felt that they were not fulfilling their job commitment. The respondents said they felt Emotionally drained and depersonalized. What is interesting is that they also felt they had a good grip on work-life balance, and they believed that they were still doing good work. Within my own research of accounts by PA’s who had been overtaken by burnout, they mentioned the same symptoms. Some felt emotionally drained and anxious about going into work. Others felt an overwhelming heaviness and worry about their shifts. The largest culprit of burnout was increased time at work. As patient flow increased so did the work hours for everyone.
Physicians Assistants with significant burnout are reported to have gaps in compassion and medical accuracy, which are critical components. All the while still feeling efficacious because in their minds they are having a positive impact. Sound familiar to our burly friend who attempted to win the competition by gutting it out?
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is this: if you have been successful at everything it takes to be Physician Assistant, you are not lazy in spirit, body, or mind. Nor are you a stranger to sacrifice. You likely have a passion for serving people and seeing them go from what is possibly their worst day to a day where their health has been restored and they are once again able to live a quality life. To that end, you are not afraid to put YOU on the line. You will do whatever it takes for that patient or those who work closely with you if it means positive outcomes.
If that resonates with you then this next part is for YOU! In your selfless and compassionate mind, taking a break is a nasty concept for the lazy and weak. So when others share this type of data and info with you it comes across as an invitation to be lazy. So, self-care becomes a dirty word. It also becomes a threat to your inner big productivity lumberjack making the balance of rest and productivity hard to grasp in practice.
The Power of Rest
We must harness our smaller, wiser lumberjack. I know it may seem a bit counterintuitive, but taking breaks to rest, rethink, or change our grip on the things that truly matter, will prove vital to be at our very best in everything we do. It is important to actively keep ourselves safe from the edge of emotional exhaustion and not feeling present. After all, there is only one of you and we mere mortals need you to take care of yourself. If you want to accomplish your goals and still be compassionate then rest is an important component to that end. Focusing on your own support team at home is another example of good rest. Spending time with family and friends will charge up your batteries and give you a fresh point of view.
What’s Next?
Seeking opportunities for self-care and taking it as seriously as the job you love is vital for you. Make time for that bubble bath, belly laugh with friends, cry if it is needed, but be willing to forgive yourself for putting YOU first. If possible, reach out to your teammates and gather resources together to create an environment in which everyone has the opportunity to define appropriate self-care and rest. Sharing the importance of both will not only help you, but it will help your entire work culture. In the final analysis, you may believe whatever you like, but whatever you believe will be the margins in which you live.
References
Dyrbye, Lotte N. MD, MHPE; West, Colin P. MD, PhD; Halasy, Michael PA-C, MS, DHSc; O’Laughlin, Danielle J. PA-C, MS; Satele, Daniel; Shanafelt, Tait MD Burnout and satisfaction with work-life integration among PAs relative to other workers, Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants: May 2020 – Volume 33 – Issue 5 – p 35-44 doi: 10.1097/01.JAA.0000660156.17502.e6
HOPE COOK, PA-C SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 2 tales of physician assistant burnout https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/09/2-tales-of-physician-assistant-burnout.html
AAPA Research Department Are PAs Burned Out? Emergency Medicine PAs Have Highest Rates of Burnout May 4, 2018 https://www.aapa.org/news-central/2018/05/pas-report-low-burnout/
