You Are Not the Problem

As physicians, we’ve been trained to carry responsibility for our patients—and then some. But the weight of a broken healthcare system can leave us overwhelmed, exhausted, and questioning if we’re the problem. Spoiler: You’re not.

This week on my podcast, Ending Physician Overwhelm, we explored how to navigate the tension between immense responsibility and so little control. From the overwhelming inbox to unrealistic patient expectations, the challenges we face are real—and yet, we don’t have to be crushed by them.

Here are three steps to help you take back your energy and focus on what matters:

1. Settle Your Nervous System

When your inbox dings or another task is piled onto your plate, your fight-or-flight response kicks in. Your heart races. Your breathing quickens. It’s not just the task—it’s how your brain is interpreting it.

Take a moment to ground yourself. Notice your feet on the floor. Breathe deeply. These small practices help you regulate your nervous system and approach the situation more calmly.

2. Examine Your Thoughts

Feelings of overwhelm or resentment often come from what we’re thinking about the task at hand. Are you telling yourself:

• “I have to do everything myself.”
• “If I don’t respond immediately, I’m failing.”
• “My patients won’t understand if I set boundaries.”

These thoughts might feel automatic, but they’re worth questioning. Are they true? Are they helpful? Often, we can reframe them in ways that serve us better.

3. Reclaim Your Agency

Even in a flawed system, you have choices. Maybe it’s delegating a task back to a nurse. Maybe it’s setting limits with patients who expect 24/7 access. Maybe it’s deciding that some administrative burdens are not yours to carry alone.

Boundaries don’t mean you care less. They mean you’re protecting your ability to keep caring at all.

Why This Matters

The healthcare system is broken. That’s not news to any of us. But waiting for it to be fixed before we take care of ourselves isn’t an option.

When we acknowledge what we can’t control, we free ourselves to focus on what we can: how we show up, how we care for ourselves, and how we practice medicine on our own terms.

You are not the problem—but you are the solution to how you take back your life.

This is the work I do every day with my clients. Let’s stop feeling like the broken one. It isn’t you, but the fix can only come with some internal work; even if they gave you 2 weeks of mandatory paid vacation RIGHT NOW and that you’ll have 12 personal assistants when you return, tell me you wouldn’t feel stressed about your inbox, or afraid to come back once it’s over because “how will I manage 12 people?!?”. We have to change the internal landscape that has been shaped by the external forces of our training and our lived experience. 

Let’s take this one step at a time—together.