Overwork Culture in Healthcare Is Not Sustainable—Here’s What Needs to Change

It started with one extra shift.

Then another.

And another.

At first, it felt like I was just “helping out”—covering gaps, staying late, being dependable. That’s what good doctors do, right?

But somewhere between the 2 a.m. trauma call, the unread messages from my spouse, and the tears I held back during morning rounds, it hit me: this wasn’t just a busy season.

It was a system that expected me to pour from an empty cup… endlessly.

We’re Not Just Overworked—We’re Undervalued

In medicine, overwork is often disguised as honor.

You're praised for showing up on your day off.

Rewarded for skipping meals.

Applauded for sleeping 4 hours between 30-hour calls.

And if you question it? You're told you're not "resilient enough."

But here’s the truth no one wants to admit:

👉 Overwork doesn’t prove commitment. It erodes it.

👉 Exhaustion doesn’t make you a better physician. It makes you a ticking time bomb.

👉 Saying yes to everything doesn’t make you strong. It makes you invisible—to yourself.

The Hidden Cost of ‘Doing It All’

I used to believe I could outwork the system. That if I just kept pushing, I’d get to a point where it all felt manageable.

Instead, I got:

• Brain fog so intense I forgot why I entered a room.

• A resting heart rate that screamed anxiety, not fitness.

• Emotional numbness I didn’t recognize who I was anymore.

This is what happens when we normalize dysfunction.

What Changed for Me

It wasn’t a big breakdown. It was the small, consistent ache of misalignment.

One day I just… couldn’t say yes anymore. I needed a new blueprint.

That’s why I created The Boundary Blueprint & Stress Management Formula inside my Well-Being Accelerator program.

Not just time-blocking tips. Not just bubble baths and affirmations.

We walk through:

✔ Identifying institutional misalignment

✔ Saying no with professional confidence (and without guilt)

✔ Building hard stops and soft landings in your day

✔ Regulating your nervous system so you don’t carry tension home

✔ Learning how to ask: “Is this sustainable?” before saying yes

Because sustainable medicine needs sustainable people.

If you're reading this and nodding… you’re not lazy. You’re not broken. You’re burnt out from being over-responsible in an under-resourced system.

And it doesn’t have to stay this way.

You deserve to love your work and have a life. You’re allowed to protect your energy. And you’re not alone in learning how to do that.