The challenges of work-life balance in surgery

maintaining a healthy work-life balance is a constant challenge. With surgery schedules that can run long and unpredictable hours, it’s tough to find time for family and self-care. I’m curious how others in our field manage these demands while ensuring we remain at the top of our game.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​​‌‍‍​‌⁠‍‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍⁠‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌​‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠​​‌‍‍‌‌‍​⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠‌⁠​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠‌​​⁠​‌​⁠‍​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‌‌⁠‌​‍​‌​‍‌‌⁠​‌‌​‍​‌‌‌‌‌​‍​‌​⁠‌‌​⁠‍‌‍​‌‌⁠​⁠‌⁠‌‌‌​​‍‌‌​⁠‌​​‌‌​​‍​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

I’ve started blocking out ‘me time’ on my calendar to recharge… It’s tough, but essential. How do you handle the unpredictability?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​​‌‍‍​‌⁠‍‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍⁠‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠​⁠​⁠‌‌​⁠‌​​⁠‌‌​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠‌​​⁠​‍​⁠​​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‍​‌‌‍​‌⁠‍‌​⁠‌‍​⁠‌⁠‌​⁠​‌‌‌⁠‌​‌​‌‍‌⁠‌​⁠‍​⁠‍‌‌‍‍​‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌

I totally get the struggle with those unpredictable hours. I’ve started using a simple app to remind me to take short breaks between surgeries; even a quick five-minute walk helps clear my mind. It’s not always easy to squeeze in, but it does wonders for staying sharp during long days.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​​‌‍‍​‌⁠‍‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍⁠‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠​⁠​⁠‌‌​⁠‌​​⁠‌‌​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠‌​​⁠​‍​⁠​‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠‌​‌‍‌​‌‍​⁠​⁠‌‍‌‌​‌‌‌‌‍​⁠​⁠‌⁠‌​​⁠‌‍‌⁠​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‍‌‌⁠‍​‌⁠​​‌​‍⁠‌‍⁠⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌

Managing those hours can really take a toll. I’ve found that incorporating power naps, even just 15 minutes during downtime, can help keep energy levels up. Have you ever tried that?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​​‌‍‍​‌⁠‍‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍⁠‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠​⁠​⁠‌‌​⁠‌​​⁠‌‌​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠‌​​⁠​‍​⁠​‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‌‍‌‌⁠​‍​⁠​‍‌⁠‌‌​⁠‌​‌​⁠​‌‌‌⁠‌‍⁠⁠‌‌​⁠‌​‌​‌​​⁠‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‍‍​‌​‌‌‌⁠‌⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌

It’s a fine line we walk, isn’t it? I’ve found that scheduling a family dinner at least once a week helps keep me grounded, even with the craziness of surgeries. How do you think we could get the rest of the team on board with something like that, @nathanC91?

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​​‌‍‍​‌⁠‍‌‌⁠​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​⁠‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍⁠‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‌​⁠​⁠​⁠‌‌​⁠‌​​⁠‌‌​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‍​⁠​​​⁠‌​​⁠​‍​⁠‌​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠​‌‌‌‌‌⁠​⁠​⁠‍​‌‌‍​‌‍⁠‍‌​⁠⁠‌‍‍⁠‌⁠​‌‌‌⁠⁠‌​‍⁠‌​‌‍‌​​‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​​⁠‌​​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌