Well-being Investment: Your Physical Health

(NEW) TLDR at the bottom*

Well-being as an Investment

Whether or not you embrace the practice, the new year often comes with resolutions, with many choosing to focus on well-being. This is for good reason: investing in your well-being produces significant returns! The new year offers a clean slate, but so does each and every new morning.

The Dual Focus of Well-being

When physicians hear “wellness,” it can evoke frustration toward the healthcare system. This is understandable by realizing for too long, the onus was placed on the physician alone. 

A couple of years ago, I partnered with six family medicine residency programs for my CHARM Well-Being Leaders Longitudinal Certificate Course project. (CHARM stands for the Collaborative for Healing and Renewal in Medicine—an international group of medical educators, academic leaders, burnout researchers, and trainees dedicated to promoting trainee wellbeing.)

It was emphasized that well-being is a shared responsibility—systems must provide adequate resources and a healthy environment to prevent burnout, which is an occupational issue. However, we also know that wellbeing is much more than the absence of burnout.

My longitudinal project addressed both the 80% of occupational drivers of engagement or burnout (per research in Mayo Clinic Proceedings) and the 20% within an individual’s control. One key question I asked 220 residents and faculty members was:

“As it relates to your health, professional and personal satisfaction, and joy, what is the top area within your control that would have the most favorable impact?”

The top answer across the board? 

Exercise!

No matter how you analyzed the data - It was true for interns, PGY 2, PGY 3, and faculty alike. It was the top answer at each residency as a whole, except for one. It was true in both university and community settings, urban- and rural-focused programs, large and small.

So, this blog series will explore how investing in physical health—a critical component of overall well-being— can make an impact. While my previous series emphasized psychological fitness, this series will focus on three foundational areas essential for optimal physical health: restorative sleep, good nutrition, and movement/exercise.

Three Principles of Well-being Investment

1. Investing in your well-being is not selfish.
   Prioritizing your well-being makes you more efficient, effective, and present. This benefits not just you but also your family, friends, colleagues, staff, and patients.
2. How you view the investment matters.
   If well-being becomes just another checkbox on your endless to-do list, it will feel like a burden and fall by the wayside. Instead, recognize that it’s something you deserve!  When you view a walk at lunch as "unproductive," it’s easy to feel guilt. But when you own that this is how you recharge to be your favorite self (shoutout to Melissa Parsons for the term “favorite self”), it feels empowering.
3. It must be prioritized in your schedule.
   Think of the airplane oxygen mask: you must secure yours first before helping others. If you burn out trying to meet everyone else’s needs, you won’t be there for the future people who need your help. So as you look each week at the coming schedule, the first thing that should go down are those things that are investing in your well-being. 

When you prioritize your well-being, the benefits create a virtuous cycle. Thoughts like “It feels so good to move” or “My body loves nutritious fuel” lead to a mindset of “I deserve to prioritize my health?” And prioritizing your health, makes you show up as your favorite self with more physical energy and emotional bandwidth and brain capacity! 

The Triple Win of Investing in Your Well-being

Taking care of yourself is not just beneficial—it’s transformative. Here’s why I call it the Triple Win:

1. You are healthier.
   Your body thrives on restorative sleep, nutritious food, and regular movement.
2. You are more effective.
   You’ll be more present with others, efficient in tasks, and able to tackle challenges with more ease and clarity.
3. You lead by example.
   By aligning your actions with what you teach your patients, you’ll practice with integrity and authenticity. This alignment reduces cognitive dissonance and equips you with tips and tricks to share with patients facing similar barriers.

Closing Reflection

With the fears reframed as positive goals and the assumptions exposed, what small step will you take this week to align your actions with your well-being goals?

Next week, we will unpack a strategy for overcoming a common barrier to change.
Until then, have a joy-filled day!  Tonya

PS. Now is a great time to learn about the work I do with individual physicians. Learn more here. 

TLDR:

• Investing in well-being benefits you and those around you. 

Insights from 220 family medicine professionals: exercise was chosen as the most ROI

• Three principles for prioritizing well-being: 
  • It’s not selfish—enhances efficiency and presence. 
  • Mindset matters—view it as empowering, not a chore. 
  • Schedule it—like the oxygen mask analogy, prioritize care for yourself first. 
• Triple Win of well-being investment: 
  • Better health. 
  • Greater effectiveness. 
  • Leading by example for patients and peers. 

Reflect on current habits and set health goals for the year. 
Next week: An expanded approach to making change stick!