Family Medicine Consultant CCT UK | Women’s Health | Preventative, Lifestyle Medicine and Longevity | Multimorbidity & Chronic Disease | Mental Health | Frailty | Health Education | Covid Hero 🏆 Presidential Award 🏆
Balancing Professional Care and Personal Well-Being As healthcare professionals, we dedicate our lives to caring for others. It’s a calling, a passion, and often an integral part of our identity. However, there’s a paradox we often face: we are great at advocating for our patients’ well-being while neglecting our own. This tension hit home last week when I was grappling with a fever and debating whether to take time off. If a patient had come to me with the same symptoms, I would have urged them to rest and recover. I would have emphasised the importance of listening to their body and allowing time for healing. Yet, when it came to my own health, I struggled to offer myself the same compassion. The guilt crept in almost immediately. “Who would cover my responsibilities?” “Would I be letting my team down?” “How would my patients feel if I cancelled their appointments?” Even as my body demanded rest, my mind churned with self-criticism. It’s ironic, isn’t it? We champion self-care for others but often resist it for ourselves. Sometimes I feel this resistance stems from the culture of healthcare which is built on resilience, pushing through exhaustion, and putting others first. While these traits can be strengths, they often become barriers to our own well-being. Lying in bed feeling utterly sorry for myself, I confronted a harsh truth: my reluctance to care for myself reflected unrealistic expectations I’d internalised about being a “good” doctor. Taking time off wasn’t easy. The guilt lingered, but I reminded myself that my health matters too. Caring for myself doesn’t diminish my dedication to my work—it reinforces it. When we prioritise our well-being, we’re not just helping ourselves; we’re setting an example. We’re showing our patients, colleagues, and future caregivers that all health—including our own—is important. Reflecting on that week, I realize it’s not just okay to rest—it’s necessary. Stepping back to care for ourselves is not a sign of weakness but of wisdom. By valuing our own health, we build the capacity to care for others with greater presence, empathy, and strength.