March 2004

Burned out, don't care

by Dr. Kevin Pallis and Dr. Edward Plentz

So many D.C.s do great in school only to find out later that success there doesn't necessarily translate into success in the real world. Regardless of what the majority thinks, the most successful and fulfilled chiropractors are the ones with purpose in their lives, not the ones who graduated first in their class.

These doctors are constantly doing homework in order to better themselves and their offices. Even before they entered chiropractic, they knew that passion was, and always will be, the key to success. Nobody forces them to do homework. They're self‑accountable. Their inspiration goes beyond their individual selves and always directly contributes to the betterment of others. When you lose your purpose, or when you fall off the path, frustration, resentment and ultimately burnout occur.

While some of you may automatically associate burnout with lower income offices, this is not the case. In fact, many high‑income offices have huge burnout problems. The problem is not income, but that the doctor has lost focus of what he or she went to chiropractic school for in the first place. If the vision was not of helping people, the D.C. will very soon discover that practicing chiropractic (as he or she knows it) has become "just a job."

Traditionally, burnout was reserved for veterans of 10 or more years. At Renaissance, we now get calls from people out just a few years. How can this be? You went to school for all of those years, made all of those sacrifices, and now you want to quit? When the reality of your existence doesn't match up with your vision, you can be sure there will be conflict in your life. From the outside everyone thinks you have the ideal life ‑‑ being a doctor, nice family, lovely house. But you still have a sinking feeling in your gut. It's not fun!

When you feel burnout in your life or practice, you have stopped creating momentum for your vision. When you stop tending to your vision, just like anything in life, it shrinks and fades away. You have to start the flow of momentum by clarifying your vision and purpose. Perhaps your original vision is no longer appropriate to your office. So what? You simply need to change it to suit your current needs and get to it. Stop putting off things you should be doing. Do the things that got you this far.

When you stop doing New Patient Orientations this is a red flag warning you that you are entering the burnout zone. Why else would you give up the only tool you have available for inspiring and educating patients about chiropractic? Soon the general public will be unable to differentiate you from the condition‑based D.C. down the street and the public perception of chiropractic as back remedy will be magnified. This leads to lowered referrals and decreased patient compliance, thereby causing more invisible stress and a lack of growth in your practice.

Many D.C.s experiencing burnout blame insurance companies, the economy, etc. The truth is, they have lost their passion for life. They don't work out as hard, they don't play as hard, and they don't practice as hard. They start spending way too much time with the patients as they spend the day entertaining themselves due to their predicament. Usually this slide is insidious and gradual, with many in the doctor's inner circle not even noticing. Yet, the doctor's own spirit notices. Because all of this occurs at the subconscious level, it's usually invisible and very subtle. Occasionally, the D.C.'s spouse can see these usually invisible downward trends, but more times than not even the spouse doesn't notice anything other than tension and irritability.

The remedy for burnout is the same as it is for creating passion. What is your purpose in chiropractic? If chiropractic is a financial vehicle only, you will have a difficult time beating burnout. But, if you have a dream that you just haven't been able to actualize thus far, don't ditch the dream, embrace it. Fall in love with this chiropractic. Read, study, and get jazzed about chiropractic. Stop having your attention diverted from chiropractic. What you focus on becomes your reality. Don't focus on the problem, focus on the solution.

And, finally, are you getting enough play time? Vacations every six weeks are the minimum. When is the last time you arranged to take your loved one on a romantic getaway? When you're in burnout you think that by working harder you'll be able to dig yourself out of the hole. However, by robbing yourself of much needed battery re‑charging, you will actually hold yourself in your current predicament.

Chiropractic needs you, your family needs you, and society needs you. Get back on the path.

(A complete system of practice based on science and philosophy working on the doctor from the inside out, The New Renaissance is the next generation of office procedures and patient education with the X‑Factor for today's chiropractor who wants to implement the chiropractic mindset of success. The new Mentor IV Practice Development Program takes 24 years of the pioneering experience of Renaissance procedures and combines it with the practical daily activities of doctors in the field. To learn more about The New Renaissance, contact The New Renaissance World Headquarters at 800/525‑3879.)