What Really Makes a Happy Professional?

(Scroll to the bottom to listen to this article in podcast form!)

Burnout and depression are common among high octane professionals, just as they are in the general population. According to the most recent Medscape burnout report, 47% of physicians are experiencing burnout. Approximately 15% report burnout so severe that they are considering leaving medicine altogether. It’s estimated that at least 20% of physicians meet criteria for clinical depression.

I’m inspired to talk about happiness in light of these staggering statistics, especially after reading a recent OpMed in Doximity. This one’s by Dr. Nicole Hight, and it’s titled These are Habits of the Happiest Doctors. The title sung to me when I was scrolling through my emails; I’m interested in what makes us happy, and I’m always interested in habit formation and optimization.

In fact, one of the pillars of Module 3 in my Lean Out Confidence Course is about using everyday habits as a way to embrace challenge again.

Which in turn can increase your confidence.

And probably your happiness.

In her article, Dr. Hight talks about how lasting happiness beyond the dopamine hits of achievement is elusive for doctors. This of course applies to other professionals and high achievers, too. When you’re jumping through the hoops of training in your chosen profession, it’s easy to find some happiness in the accomplishment of different goals set in front of you. But what happens after that?

I often have coaching clients say to me, “It’s kind of a letdown now that I’m an attending… it’s like, ‘Is this all there is?’”

They’re doing all the things they wanted to do on paper, but in reality, there is a lack. A lack of happiness and a lack of fulfillment.

Let’s first talk about what happiness really is. I remember my mom saying to me as a young woman trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life: “I just want you to be happy.”

What does this even mean?

Arthur Brooks is the author of Build the Life You Want and From Strength to Strength among other books. He says overall that we should look at happiness as a direction, not a destination. The classic arrival fallacy of “I’ll be happy when…” is problematic, so this makes sense. Happiness, then, like balance, is a continuous practice. I’ve also heard him on podcasts use the phrase, “The pursuit of happierness.”

Brooks breaks happiness down into three macronutrients: enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning. He says these three things make up our happiness. But as far as external pillars of happiness go, he divides that into four categories: family, friendships, work, and faith. And all three macronutrients can be found in these.

One thing that’s important to point out about all this is that there is an inevitable presence of unhappiness we can’t avoid. No one is happy all the time. Suffering and dissatisfaction are a natural part of life. Hence, the “pursuit of happierness”…

So back to the Doximity article, let’s talk about the “habits” that Dr. Hight outlined as the ones demonstrated by the “happiest doctors.”

They protect their time fiercely

This includes alterations to both personal and work time. Maybe they work part-time, but maybe they don’t and instead they’ve learned how to protect certain important points during their day – a quiet lunch hour, daily patient quotas, strict boundaries around hours spent in the portal, etc. Maybe they’re vocal to their family that they need a short period of time each day for exercise.

Something I often tell clients (and something I’ve heard from several podcast guests) is that if you have a personal thing you want to get done each day (like exercise, reading a book, or taking the dog for a walk), treat it like it’s any other meeting and put it on the calendar so it doesn’t get ignored or trampled upon.

They invest in their relationships

Strong relationships buffer us from stress, improve our health and bolster our immune system. Many studies have demonstrated this finding, including the 85-year ongoing Harvard Study of Adult Development. This is a huge study of people from all walks of life. In her article, Dr. Hight also points to an AAFP/Comphealth Physician Happiness Survey that found relationships were the single most important factor driving physicians’ happiness.

For many doctors (including me I will admit), fostering relationships can be difficult because of our busy lives. But making a concerted effort to work some social interactions into your balance can really enhance your happiness and your health. Making sure you’re taking your vacation time is one way to do this.

Plan the trip. Go on the retreat.

They move their bodies

I like the way the author titled this section, because movement doesn’t have to look a certain way. As high achievers, we have a tendency to be very all-or-nothing when it comes to things like exercise. You might say to yourself, “If I don’t have time for my long run, I’m just not gonna go.” Or, “If I don’t have an hour to lift weights at the gym, what’s the point?”

Happy physicians and other professionals prioritize exercise such that it’s part of their lifestyle and not something to do as a punishment. At the same time, it doesn’t have to look perfect for you to benefit from it. I’m a huge champion of the 20-30 minute yoga practice for this reason. It’s hard to find time for a 60 or 90 minute class of anything, but you can get some benefit even with short periods of exercise.

Even just a dog walk. (And don’t forget to add it to your calendar as I mentioned above!)

They pursue something outside of medicine

I love this one because this is the premise of my whole podcast – showcasing professionals who are doing something unique with their work-life balance. You don’t have to be a one-trick pony to be good at what you do. Having something you do that’s separate from your work gives you perspective and lets you redefine your identity.

Just the other day, we were watching a Youtube video of a couple living off-grid in Canada, and the woman had an amazing garden. Of course we have an awesome geodesic dome greenhouse on our homestead as well, but I’ve not quite gotten a hang of the gardening thing yet. In fact, I kind of suck at gardening.

I don’t think that’s inevitable, though; I just haven’t learned enough and experimented enough with it. I’m spending time doing other things currently, including medicine.

My husband said, “If you retire from medicine, you could get really into this gardening stuff and have a beautiful space like that lady on TV.”

Yes, this is true. I may just have to get more into gardening.

Right now, though, I’m kind of leaning towards becoming a pickleball star.

They let go of what doesn’t serve them

There’s a hidden curriculum in medicine that teaches us to be lone rangers. It’s that culture of invulnerability and “see one, do one, teach one, and then you’re an expert, but if not, then you’re an idiot” kind of mentality. Well, happy people realize they’re human, and they have limits. Dr. Hight said in her article, “The happiest physicians I know have given themselves permission to stop trying to do everything.”

Well said.

Here’s my take on this one, and it ties into the Arthur Brooks framework of happiness. Again, what we’re doing is really the “pursuit of happierness.” The embracing of negative times and positive times. It’s a constant process, just like work-life balance. We’re always iterating, and we’re never done. There’s a time for high energy, and a time for rest. Riding these waves will lead to greater happiness.

I really liked the list presented in this article, but here’s my addition to the habits that beget happiness for busy professionals:

They forge their own path

The happiest people I’ve met in my life as a physician, as a climber, as a mother, and all the other roles I’ve held, are the people who are unapologetically, authentically themselves. They aren’t afraid to ask for what they want even if it’s a sabbatical or a weird work schedule. They do things according to their values and don’t bother worrying so much about what everyone else is doing. If you’re a high octane professional and you can cut through all the hidden curricula and the culture of training that pushes us into very particular paths, then I guarantee you’ll have an edge on happiness.

If you want help figuring out your authentic balance, or finding your way back to happiness, remember that I’m running a sale on my coaching services during the months of November and December. I’d love to help you. You can find out more here.

What do you think of this list? What would you add, or what would you change?

Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below!