Introduction
In 2021, hospitalhallways were filled with exhaustion—overloaded floors, impossible discharges, and physicians running on fumes. At the time, we told ourselves things would get better once the crisis passed. But here we are, five years later, and the data shows otherwise: nearly half of physicians are still reporting symptoms of burnout (Stanford-led study, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2025).
The Lingering Reality
Burnout in medicine isn’t just about being tired. It’s the case that goes well but doesn’t feel satisfying anymore. It’s finally having time with family but feeling too spent to enjoy it. It’s the erosion of joy both inside and outside the hospital walls.
For women physicians, the load is even heavier: persistent bias, longer hours, and the “second shift” at home all add up.
Why It Matters
Burnout isn’t weakness. It’s biology. A nervous system stuck in overdrive can only carry that weight for so long before it starts to break down. Recognizing that truth matters—because it shifts the question from “What’s wrong with me?” to “What can help me reset?”
Finding Footholds
System-level change is essential, but while we wait for that work, there are ways to support the humans inside the system. Even small practices can make a difference:
- A single cycle of 4-7-8 breathing to downshift the nervous system.
- Heart-focused breathing to steady the physiology behind racing thoughts.
- Rituals that mark the end of work and the beginning of home life.
Closing
Burnout is real, but so is the possibility of relief. The physicians who carried medicine through the pandemic deserve more than survival—they deserve clarity, rest, and presence again.
I’ve been writing more about what burnout looks like in 2025—and the footholds physicians can use to reset—in a LinkedIn series. If this resonates, you can find and follow the posts here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherined55905/
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