Your practice operations team is here to support all of you in your effort to provide exceptional care to UT Health patients. If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to your practice operations leaders: Casey Peterson , senior director of practice operations, Jeanette Hernandez, director of practice operations, Johnna Nerios, director of practice operations and Dina Wright, director of practice operations. 

I’m having a hard time getting up in the morning.” “I just don’t feel as excited as I used to about work.” “Maybe I’ll just call in sick today.” Do any of these statements sound like you? If so, you might be experiencing burnout, one of the biggest causes of staff turnover in the medical field. Think of burnout as stress turned all the way up to 11. In one study, 49 percent of RNs under the age of 30 and 40 percent of RNs over the age of 30 were actively experiencing some signs of burnout. That’s a lot of stressed caregivers.

Burnout doesn’t just suddenly appear – there’s a definite slow burn that can occur over a period of time. It sometimes feels like stress or anxiety, but it can also look like any of the following.

• Physical and/or emotional exhaustion: are you having a harder time sleeping? Feel tired all the time? How about losing your cool more often than you’re used to? Feeling more depressed? How about more anxious?
  
  
• Increased cynicism and detachment: do you feel more negative about your job? Maybe you’re finding it less enjoyable than it used to be. Perhaps you’re beating yourself up more often? Or maybe you’re feeling distant from your coworkers or the people in your care.
  
• Feeling less effective at work: Do you feel like you’re not as efficient or productive as you used to be? Maybe you’re losing track of things and becoming more distractible. Do you just feel like you’re having a hard time making progress?

There are a lot of things that can increase these feelings. Some work environments feel chaotic and disorganized, leading to unclear job expectations or problems communicating with the rest of your team. For some, a lack of feeling like you’re in control of your job or the outcomes – a sense that you’re just “going through the motions” – can result in wondering whether your job even matters.  Limited support, both at work and at home, can lead to increased stress and burnout. Finally, struggling to find a balance between work and your personal life can lead to you bringing your work stress home with no relief.

Fortunately, there are things we can do to manage work-related stress, and they’re just general good tips for managing stress overall.

1. Don’t overlook the small stuff – focus on getting good sleep and eating right. Neglecting your physical health will make managing your emotional health that much more difficult. Plus, a good night’s sleep is often the recharge we need to get started the next day.
   
   
2. Have some self-compassion – feeling overwhelmed with work doesn’t mean you’re weak, it means you’re overwhelmed. Recognizing that this is your body’s natural response to elevated and prolonged stress can help you manage it sooner.
   
   
3. Get organized – we’re not built to multitask, but work demands that we’re constantly juggling several things at once. Make sure your work space is free of clutter, jot down your tasks for the day, and prioritize things that need to get done. This can help reduce some of the chaos at work and help you feel more in control.
   
   
4. Use your team – you’re probably not going through stress on your own, and you honestly don’t have to. Talking with others can help you build a support network at work that you can lean on when you feel overwhelmed.
   
   
5. Get outside, even for just a few minutes – fresh air and sunlight can improve your mood and help you relax. Sometimes, we need a halftime away from the office.
   
   
6. Use your breaks – it can be tempting to use breaks to catch up on work, but working through your timeouts can keep you stressed longer.
   
   
7. Prioritize yourself – often when we’re feeling stressed out, we stop doing the things we used to do to relax. Exercise, reading, music, spending time with friends and family; whatever helps you relax, make sure you’re allocating time for these things, too. Don’t wait until you’re feeling better to get back to doing the things that make you feel better.

If you're having a difficult time managing stress and aren’t sure what to do about it, communicate with your health care team who can provide assistance.  Taking care of others means also taking care of yourself. Remember, you don’t have to go it alone!

The UT Employee Assistance Program is free and available to all UT Health San Antonio employees, their spouses and their dependents. Click here to learn more about the confidential services available to you through this program.

UT Health San Antonio’s primary care practices offer onsite behavioral health consultations to help all of their patients achieve physical and emotional health. Click here for more information.

We are recruiting people who are passionate about making lives better through exceptional health care. Meet the newest providers and staff joining UT Health Physicians. Know someone who is passionate about making lives better? Let them know we are hiring at UTHealthSA.org/hr.

Valerie  Balderas, vascular surgery at the Medical Arts & Research Center, Alexis  Benavides,  primary care, Andres  Calderon,  Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's & Neurodegenerative Diseases, Carla Cruz Calderon, access center, Angela N. Camacho,  primary care, Roxanne M. Delgado,  vascular surgery at the Medical Arts & Research Center, Christopher R. Gaitan,  orthopaedics at UT Health Hill Country, Yesenia  Galvan-Diaz,  primary care, Damaris Rodriguez Garcia,  coding support, Claudia R. Garza,  urology at the Medical Arts & Research Center, Desiree E. Gonzales,  insurance follow-up, Laura R. Gonzales, neurology at the Medical Arts & Research Center, Krystella R. Gonzalez, Ob/gyn the Medical Arts & Research Center, Amy Z. Leach,  neurology at the Medical Arts & Research Center, Keenen K. Mack, primary care Anna M. Mancha, urology, Sharon A. Melton, insurance follow-up, Melinda R. Moore, primary care at UT Health Hill Country, Ruben L. Ortega,  urology at the Medical Arts & Research Center, Priya  Keerthi Palle,  coding support, Crystal M. Perez,  primary care, Linda A. Rodriguez,  Mays Cancer Center, Priscilla G. Rodriguez,  Mays Cancer Center, Elmer Adame Rodriguez, access center, Britni M. Secor,  Mays Cancer Center, Julie A. Sharrott, coding support, James E. Sparrow,  coding support, Rhonda M. Swift, Mays Cancer Center, Joantell A. Williams,  coding support, Adriana A. Yanez, vascular surgery at the Medical Arts & Research Center

The care we provide at UT Health Physicians endures long after an appointment ends. A patient's opinions on how they were treated and the care they received are remembered always and shared time and time again. The good stories our patients share about our practice establish an expectation and a reputation each of us is called to uphold. Here are recent comments directly from our patients.

UT Health Physicians makes a difference in our community every day. Your colleagues were recently in the media for leading cancer care, the new risks associated with e-cigs and vaping, helping families prevent asthma complications, discoveries about Alzheimer’s “zombie” cells and more.

Dr. George Crawford - 255 people reported sick; 12 hospitalized after eating at Pasha, officials say  – KSAT 12

Dr. Jennifer Potter - TEDx Talks to Focus on San Antonio’s Past, Present, Future – Rivard Report

 
Drs. William Henrich and Ruben Mesa - UT Health, MD Anderson leaders tout cancer partnership Express-News

Dr. Brian Eastridge - Little Rock doctor struck by drunken driver treated in trauma system he helped create - Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Drs. Alicia Parker and Sudha Seshadri- Alzheimer's disease approaching status of health crisis, researchers say  - KSAT 12

Dr. Tamara Simpson - FDA Holds E-Cigarette Manufacturers Accountable For Advertising, Illegal Sales to Minors - Rivard Report

Dr. Mandie Svatek  Preventing Asthma Complications by Reaching San Antonio Kids at Home Rivard Report

Dr. Georgia McCann - Good People - Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month KENS 5

Dr. Robyn Scherber - Ruxolitinib May Prove Beneficial in Combination for Myelofibrosis Targeted Oncology

Dr. Virginia Kaklamani - How Close Is Too Close? Treating Loved Ones With Cancer  - Medscape

Drs. Miranda Orr, Dr. Nicolas Musi, and Dr. Sudha Seshadri UT Health San Antonio researchers link ‘zombie cells’ to Alzheimer’s - Express-News

For more news about UT Health San Antonio, visit the Newsroom.