July 3, 2023

Positive affirmations to fight burnout

As a physician, you know that your job can be incredibly stressful. Long hours, demanding patients and administrators, and the constant pressure to perform at your best can all take a toll on your mental and emotional health. If you are not careful, you could find yourself struggling with burnout.

Burnout is a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It can lead to a number of negative consequences, including decreased job performance, increased risk of errors, and even depression and anxiety.

If you are feeling burned out, there are a number of things you can do to help yourself. One of the most effective strategies is to use positive affirmations.

What are positive affirmations?

Positive affirmations are positive statements that you repeat to yourself on a regular basis. They are designed to help you change your negative thoughts and beliefs into more positive ones.

When you repeat positive affirmations, you are sending a message to your subconscious mind that you believe in yourself and your abilities. This can help to boost your self-confidence and self-esteem, which can be essential for fighting burnout.

How do positive affirmations work?

The human brain is constantly processing information and creating thoughts. Many of these thoughts are negative, and they can have a negative impact on our mood, emotions, and behavior.

Positive affirmations can help to counteract these negative thoughts. When you repeat a positive affirmation, you are essentially telling your brain that you believe in yourself and your abilities.

When you repeat a positive affirmation, you are essentially telling your brain that you believe in yourself and your abilities.

This can help to shift your thinking from negative to positive, which can lead to a number of positive benefits, including:

Increased self-confidence
Improved self-esteem
Reduced stress and anxiety
Increased motivation and productivity
Improved relationships
Improved overall wellbeing

How to use positive affirmations to fight burnout?

If you are ready to start using positive affirmations to fight burnout, here are a few tips:

Choose your affirmations carefully. When choosing positive affirmations, it is important to choose ones that are specific, believable, and positive.
Repeat your affirmations regularly. The more you repeat your affirmations, the more effective they will be. Try to repeat them at least once a day, but you can also repeat them more often if you like.
Make your affirmations visual. One way to make your affirmations more effective is to make them visual. You can do this by writing them down on a piece of paper, putting them on your mirror, or creating a vision board.
Feel the power of your affirmations. Feelings is what makes affirmations come to life. The stronger your feeling of happiness is when you have happy affirmations, the happier you will become.
Believe in yourself. The most important thing is to believe in yourself and your ability to achieve your goals. If you don’t believe in yourself, your affirmations will not be effective.

Additional tips for positive affirmations

Here are a few additional tips for using positive affirmations to fight burnout:

Be specific. The more specific your affirmations are, the more effective they will be. For example, instead of saying “I am a great doctor,” say “I am a compassionate and effective doctor and I provide excellent care to my patients.”
Be positive. Your affirmations should be positive and uplifting. Avoid using negative language or phrases like “I am not” or “I never”, so say “I am strong” instead of “I am not weak”.
Be present. When you repeat your affirmations, focus on the present moment and really believe what you are saying.
Be patient. It takes time for positive affirmations to work. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results immediately. Just keep repeating your affirmations and eventually you will start to see a difference.

Remember, you are not alone. Burnout is a common problem among physicians. But there is hope. With the right tools and support, you can overcome burnout and find joy in your work again.

Examples of positive affirmations

Here are a few examples of positive affirmations that you can use:

I am a valuable and respected member of the medical community.
I am capable of handling anything that comes my way.
I am grateful for the opportunity to help others.
I am taking care of myself both physically and mentally.
I am worthy of love and happiness.

And as you start to believe [positive affirmations], you will start to feel better about yourself and your life will turn around: “fake it until you make it”.

The more you repeat these affirmations, the more you will start to believe them. And as you start to believe them, you will start to feel better about yourself and your life will turn around: “fake it until you make it”.

If you are feeling stressed, give them a try. You may be surprised at how effective they can be.

Conclusion

Positive affirmations are a powerful tool that can help you fight burnout. If you are feeling overwhelmed by stress, try using positive affirmations to boost your self-confidence and self-esteem. With a little practice, you can start to see a difference in your mood, emotions, and overall well-being.

Here are some additional tips for using positive affirmations effectively:

Make your affirmations personal. The more specific your affirmations are, the more powerful they will be.

Use positive language. Avoid using negative words or phrases in your affirmations.

Repeat your affirmations regularly. The more you repeat them, the more effective they will be.

Believe in yourself. The most important thing is to believe in yourself and your ability to achieve your goals.

If you are struggling with burnout, don’t hesitate to seek professional help. A therapist or a Physicians Anonymous coach can help you develop coping strategies and identify the root causes of your burnout. You are also welcome to join our anonymous group meetings to get help along with other physicians.

Anna Gyarmathy PhD, MSc, MPH

I have a PhD in psychology and I am also a certified coach. My coaching focuses on goal setting and goal achievement. I will help you process difficult life situations and achieve your life goals so that you can truly become the awesome person that you indeed are. Co-founded Physicians Anonymous with the intention to solve physician burnout, mental illness, and suicide, in memory of my late first husband.

Physicians Anonymous