Common signs of burnout are constant feelings of helplessness, irritability, anxiety attacks, weight loss or gain, and insomnia. The symptoms of burnout can affect a person’s emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Burnout is a state of exhaustion. This is usually caused by prolonged and excessive stress. It is experienced when someone feels overwhelmed by the daily demands of the job and that person is unable to meet the demands for certain reasons.
Burnout is very common among healthcare workers, especially physician assistants or MAs. Possibly, it may be due to the constant pressure, long working hours and demanding workloads that come with your daily routine.
Burnout can have a negative effect on a person’s relationships and commitments at home and at work. Prolonged stress can reduce productivity and later. Additionally, burnout can make a person feel cynical, restless, sarcastic, and resentful. It can also make the body vulnerable to various diseases, such as common colds and the flu. Burnout needs to be managed effectively before it gets worse.
Here are some of the things a Physician Assistant should do to manage burnout:
1. Stay positive and let go of unrealistic expectations
MAs often deal with patients who are negative, emotional, and depressed. One of your tasks is to comfort these patients. It can be exhausting to comfort and comfort someone who is emotionally stressed. Medical assistants must learn to ignore these negative emotions because negative energy and vibrations can be absorbed without knowing it.
2. Exercise regularly
One of the most effective ways to eliminate exhaustion is to exercise regularly. Simple exercises that most MAs can do are jogging, walking, or biking. Doing this every day can help the body release endorphins. Endorphins are responsible for eliminating the negative emotions that most AMs absorb at work.
Exercise can also improve your mood. Eliminate irritability, depression, hostility, anger, anxiety and frustrations. Most medical assistants exercise right after their shift to get rid of those negative emotions and help them sleep better. Regular exercise also improves restlessness and fatigue. It can also increase one’s energy, resulting in a positive attitude and vibes.
3. Learn to separate work from personal life
MAs must learn to separate work from personal life. From time to time, it is important to get away from work. Watch a relaxing movie at home or have something to do as a hobby. Reading, drawing and playing sports are some of the things that help people relax. These activities can serve as fun.
Healthcare is very fulfilling, rewarding and at the same time a very challenging career. Being a medical assistant is not as easy as most people think. Your overwhelming tasks often lead to stress and burnout. With the tips mentioned above, one can easily combat burnout. MAs are not robots. They are also prone to stress and burnout. They also need to enjoy their life in order to be productive and effective at work.
