Work to Live

Are you working to live or living to work? 🤔

As a medical student and resident, we were encouraged to dive into medicine, dedicate, and even sacrifice ourselves for patient care and research. Pulling all nighters 🌙 and enduring 36 hour shifts were the norm. When a senior came into rounds so sick he was hooked up to an IV pole, we were impressed. When a co-resident came back to work just a few weeks after having her baby, she was applauded.

It was engrained in us to live for work. 😓💪🏼

It has taken me 10 years since graduation to retrain myself and realize that this is not healthy nor sustainable. These are the unrealistic expectations that will eventually lead to resentment and burnout. 💔

As much as my brain still protests, I have to remind myself that it’s OK to relax. That choosing my family over work is acceptable (in fact, should be expected!!!). And that my own well being is just as important as a patient's. Moreover I have come to realize that to a job (no matter how amazing and well paid, or how hard I work), I am 💯 replaceable. But to my kids, family, and friends, I am not.

And so while I love being a physician 👩🏻‍⚕️ - it is a job, not my life. I must remind myself that I #worktolive🩺 the life of my dreams, not sacrifice my life and dreams for work...

#liveVICTORIOUS✌🏼 #worktolivenotlivetowork