I have a regular column with Neos Kosmos called ‘Doctor in the House’. This aims to help the reader learn more about some of the common health issues which might be embarrassing or difficult to talk about. In this issue, I talk about “burnout’ – what it is and some steps to prevent it.
NEOS KOSMOS Article [extract]
‘Doctor in the House’, by General Practitioner A/Prof Magdalena Simonis AM is a regular new column which aims to help the reader learn more about some of the common health issues which might be embarrassing or difficult to talk about. Sometimes, we tend to put our own needs last or we just seek information from ‘Dr Google’ and it’s not until things become serious that we visit our GP or seek attention. The articles in this column aim to share evidence-based medical information in a way that helps people take steps to support their health. It is important to note, that as helpful as this might be for you, this is not a substitute for seeking advice from your own doctor as this is general information which is not specific to any one person. I hope you benefit from reading these and if you have any topics you wish to have covered, please let our editor know.
If you’re already feeling tired and it’s the start of 2024, this could be due to ‘burnout’.
Here are some tips from the Doctor in the House, Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis AM, on how to identify and avoid burnout, so you can start the year with enthusiasm and energy.
Burnout can happen to anyone and it comes from being exposed to continual stress. As a general practitioner with more than 30years of experience working in Melbourne’s central business district, one of the commonest complaints I hear is, ‘I don’t know why, I just feel tired all the time’. In this article we will talk about how feeling tired easily, or all the time might be a symptom of ‘burnout’. People find it difficult or embarrassing to talk about burnout, because there is so much pressure on everyone to cope with the demands of life, all the time.
We are living longer and working for more years, and in this day of technology the expectation is that we are to be accessible all the time. If you don’t start the year with self-care tips and awareness of the risks of ‘burnout’, it’s almost impossible to avoid. This also provides a good opportunity to share some key points around the symptoms of ‘fatigue’, that will help you work out if there is a medical reason for the way you feel too.
Should I worry if I feel tired all the time?
If you do feel tired all the time and tired when waking, you should see your GP to talk about this and make sure that medical reasons for the fatigue have been excluded. Your doctor might decide to run a few tests to determine what the cause is, especially if you have had symptoms for more than four weeks.
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Source article and photo: NEOS KOSMOS
Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis AM is the Immediate Past President of the AFMW (2020-2023), former President of VMWS (2013 & 2017-2020) and current AFMW National Coordinator (2024-2026). She is a full time clinician who also holds positions on several not for profit organisations, driven by her passion for bridging gaps across the health sector. She is a leading women’s health expert, keynote speaker, climate change and gender equity advocate and government advisor. Magda is member of The Australian Health Team contributing monthly articles.
Magdalena was awarded a lifetime membership of the RACGP for her contributions which include past chair of Women in General Practice, longstanding contribution to the RACGP Expert Committee Quality Care, the RACGP eHealth Expert Committee. She is regularly invited to comment on primary care research though mainstream and medical media and contributes articles on various health issues through newsGP and other publications.
Magdalena has represented the RACGP at senate enquiries and has worked on several National Health Framework reviews. She is author of the RACGP Guide on Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery and co-reviewer of the RACGP Red Book Women’s Health Chapter, and reviewer of the RACGP White book
Both an RACGP examiner and University examiner, she undertakes general practice research and is a GP Educator with the Safer Families Centre of Research Excellence, which develops education tools to assist the primary care sector identify, respond to and manage family violence . Roles outside of RACGP include the Strategy and Policy Committee for Breast Cancer Network Australia, Board Director of the Melbourne University Teaching Health Clinics and the elected GP representative to the AMA Federal Council. In 2022. she was award the AMA (Vic) Patrick Pritzwald-Steggman Award 2022, which celebrates a doctor who has made an exceptional contribution to the wellbeing of their colleagues and the community and was listed as Women’s Agenda 2022 finalist for Emerging Leader in Health.
Magdalena has presented at the United Nations as part of the Australian Assembly and was appointed the Australian representative to the World Health Organisation, World Assembly on COVID 19, by the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) in 2021. In 2023, A/Professor Simonis was included on the King’s COVID-19 Champion’s list and was also awarded a Member (AM) in the General Division for significant service to medicine through a range of roles and to women’s health.
