I’ve just returned from an open house. Not the kind with appetizers and socializing, but the kind with real estate agents, signs out front, and prospective buyers poking about. We’re downsizing now that our children are living independently and would like a home with a smaller footprint.

Physicians who are experiencing or approaching burnout are often working in settings where the vibrancy level has tipped into an entirely different realm: a work environment that is unsustainable, toxic, maybe even trauma-inducing. At the same time, they are often lacking any sort of oasis.

Human beings, including physicians, need both vibrancy and an oasis. When these are out of whack, we don’t do well for long. We can white-knuckle it for quite a while, but not forever.

What level of vibrancy level is best for you? What level is your current work environment? Do you have an oasis? Have you been there lately?

If things feel out of whack, I can help. Drop me a line.