Burnout: Is it a system issue or an individual issue?

I hear comments often that we should focus on solving the systems that lead physicians to be burned out instead of individual physician level strategies to improve physician wellbeing. 

“It’s not a lack of resilience in physicians that is the problem.” 

“It’s the systems in which we work that aren’t sustainable. That’s where we should focus our energy.”

Here’s the thing:  yes, burnout is a systemic problem.  Yes, we need to advocate for change. Totally agree. 

AND, physicians are hurting NOW.  Physicians are stuck in fight / flight / freeze NOW. Physicians are committing suicide at higher rates than any other profession NOW. 

We can’t wait for the system to change to feel better. We have to change our mindset, learn to complete the stress cycle, learn to set boundaries and advocate for ourselves NOW.  

AND, when we learn ways to get out of burnout, we get to put our amazing, brilliant, creative minds to work finding ways to advocate for systemic changes.  We can’t do that when we’re stuck in fight or flight. We don’t see a way out. Our creativity is hamstrung by burnout and we can’t tackle the systemic issues we need to tackle.  

Two things can be true at the same time. It’s not either / or. We can do work at both the system and individual levels at the same time.