It smelled like hay, molasses, and mice. I really hoped there wasn’t a mouse in the oat bin again. It was early fall, and the pasture was eaten to the ground, so the horses received “special oats” with some molasses and corn added so they could head into the winter with extra fat stores. They loved it. So did the mice. I lifted the lid. No mice. Phew. I filled the buckets with oats and went outside, met my grandpa, and fed the horses. I loved Saturdays.
I spent many Saturdays of my childhood with my grandfather and his horses, April, Cinnamon, Blaze, and Hisega. April was a giant who ran like the wind. Cinnamon was a bit of a jerk who tended to bite. I avoided her. Blaze was a gentle, old, black-and-white pony whose days were numbered, and Hisega was a colt who grew to be a strong-willed horse that knocked me out of the saddle a few times. My grandfather rode April. I rode Blaze until I outgrew him and graduated to Hisega. I loved Saturdays.
My grandpa was a retired dentist. He loved to garden, travel, read, eat chocolate, spend time with his family, and tend to his horses. For several summers of my youth, I spent Saturdays helping my grandfather mow his yard and care for the horses. My grandfather drove the riding mower, and I pushed a heavy green lawn mower through all the areas the tractor didn’t fit. The riding mower had a tricky brake and clutch. I got to drive it once, mixed up the brake and clutch, and mowed down one of his prized rose bushes. Grandpa laughed, but I don’t think he thought it was very funny. I never drove the riding mower again.
I didn’t appreciate those Saturdays enough or recognize how formative they were. I inadvertently picked up several of my grandfather’s hobbies. I love to garden, spend too much on travel, and have a hard time putting down books. I neglected these hobbies during my medical training but turned to them during the most challenging time of my medical career. They helped pull me out of the depths of burnout and are part of the system I now have that allows me to continue practicing medicine while leading a fulfilling life.
Physicians need more hobbies. Experiences in your life impact your self-image. You wouldn’t consider yourself an artist if you doodle on a piece of paper once, but draw regularly, and your self-image will change – and maybe “artist” becomes an identity that fits. To state it differently, developing hobbies is a way of developing and becoming yourself. How many physicians do you know whose main and sole identity is Doctor? Is it surprising that physician burnout and job dissatisfaction are so high?
Burnout is a complex issue. The health care system, the practice of medicine, medical training, the physician mindset, and everyday life stressors all contribute to making physicians and other health care workers uniquely predisposed to burnout. Many of those variables are outside physicians’ control, which is one of the reasons discussions about burnout make physicians angry. Why hold a physician accountable for suffering from a condition that results from a broken health care system? While those physicians have a valid point, this perspective gets one thing very wrong. Burnout ultimately boils down to one simple thing within a physician’s control: choice.
Burnout results from energy imbalance. Physicians use physical, emotional, and spiritual energy at work. If you spend more energy than you generate, you eventually run out. Run a negative energy balance long enough, and burnout ensues. Recognizing what you have control over and can change is key to burnout prevention and recovery. This is where hobbies and choices come in!
Engaging in activities that align with your values and using your strengths refills energy accounts. So, find hobbies that do that. Align actions at work with your values and strengths as much as possible within the confines of the messed-up system.
The Saturdays I spent with my grandpa were more than just cherished memories; they taught me the importance of maintaining a balanced life through hobbies and interests outside one’s profession. As physicians, we often become so engrossed in our medical careers that we neglect other aspects of our lives, inadvertently setting ourselves up for burnout.
Research has shown that lower burnout and disengagement levels are associated with a higher number of active hobbies and leisure activities. In fact, across all demographic groups, physicians who engage in hobbies experience less burnout and feel more connected to their work. This underscores hobbies’ critical role in preventing burnout and maintaining overall well-being.
Just as my grandpa found joy and fulfillment in his horses, gardening, and other pursuits after retiring from dentistry, we as physicians must cultivate interests beyond our medical practice. These activities provide a much-needed respite from the demands of our profession and contribute to our personal growth and self-identity.
It’s important to note that not all hobbies are equally effective in combating burnout. Interestingly, activities with stronger social underpinnings are particularly beneficial. While popular pastimes like listening to music, watching TV, or playing video games may be enjoyable, they are associated with higher levels of exhaustion compared to more socially interactive hobbies.
As we navigate the challenges of modern healthcare, let’s remember that burnout prevention is not just about systemic changes – it’s also about the choices we make in our personal lives. By embracing hobbies and interests outside of medicine, we can replenish our emotional and spiritual reserves, making us more resilient in the face of professional stressors.
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So, whether it’s spending time with horses like my grandpa, taking up painting, learning a new language, or joining a sports team, find activities that bring you joy and align with your values. These pursuits are not just pastimes; they are vital tools in our arsenal against burnout.
Ultimately, the lessons from those Saturday mornings with my grandpa extend far beyond horse care and lawn mowing. They teach us that a fulfilling life – and a sustainable medical career – is built on a foundation of diverse interests and experiences. By nurturing our hobbies, we enrich our lives and become better, more balanced physicians for our patients.
Ben Reinking is a board-certified pediatric cardiologist, medical educator, and certified physician development coach, as well as the owner of The Developing Doctor. He can also be reached on Instagram.
He’s not just any coach—he’s a practicing physician who truly understands the realities of modern medicine. He knows firsthand the internal battles you’re facing, from short-staffing and limited resources to production metrics, constant billing pressures, and the ways your altruism can be taken advantage of. Ben is here to help you reignite the passion that first led you to medicine and provide you with the strategies needed to regain control.
