While the path to healthcare leadership can be exhilarating, it can also wear people down when they don’t know how to manage the stress that comes with it. Yet it is possible for leaders (and everyone) to avoid burnout and thrive in healthcare, regardless of our industry’s pressures. It requires being what Annamarí Dietrichson calls “the boss of your brain.”
In a recent podcast interview, Dan Collard discussed this topic with Dietrichson, an executive with HCA Healthcare and an executive coach and speaker. She says thoughts that might not even be true create emotions in the body that end up driving stress or success. These emotions drive us to act in ways that can either get us the results we want…or not.
Dietrichson teaches the THRIVE method to help leaders stay connected to their calling and build fulfilling careers while managing the pressures they regularly face. Here is a quick overview:
T: Targeted Thoughts. Be aware of what you are thinking—and don’t believe everything you think. Get in the habit of asking yourself, What feeling does this thought create in my body? Is that feeling going to prompt me to take action that will lead to the results I want?
H: Healthy Habits. In healthcare, we try to appear put together at all times, regardless of any inner turmoil we might be experiencing—almost as though our brains were separate from our physical bodies. But if your body is not healthy enough to withstand the stress you experience, your brain is not going to be able to do so either. Focus on healthy eating, sleep, and exercise.
R: Rest and Resilience. In our field, “resilience” can be a charged word, but you have to be able to bounce back on a daily basis. Rest is necessary for resilience. Taking short breaks to rest in between stressful moments is important, as is getting good-quality sleep and taking PTO.
I: Intentionality. You can’t be successful if you aren’t intentional about every action, thought, and goal that you set for yourself. Then, you must stick to that plan. In particular, be mindful and intentional about what you say yes and no to. Boundaries are critical in staving off burnout.
V: Vigilance. It’s easy for a victim mentality to creep in. Be on the lookout for thoughts like, I don’t get paid enough to do this. Consciously say “no” to them and, by extension, the feelings and actions they spark.
E: Empowered Energy. Time is not your most valuable resource. Energy is. While time is finite, you can create more energy, and you can be careful about where you direct your energy flow. Channel it toward thoughts and actions that will empower you to thrive in your career.
“I’m not saying we need to think positively all the time, because you cannot be an effective leader in healthcare and ignore the problems that are staring you in the face,” says Dietrichson. “The key to better outcomes is knowing how to be solution-oriented without allowing stressful thoughts to hijack you.”
The content above is excerpted from Be the Boss of Your Brain: A Framework to Help Leaders Fight Burnout and THRIVE with Annamarí Dietrichson, BSc, MHA. Click here to listen!
