From Chapter 1: When the Badge Wears You

Disclaimer: This tool is for educational and reflective purposes only. It does not constitute medical or psychological advice, and does not establish a doctor–patient relationship. All views are personal and do not represent the opinions of any employer or institution. If you are struggling, please reach out to qualified support.

Before You Begin

This isn’t a test. There’s no grade.
But if you’re reading this in the margins of a busy day, consider pausing—just for a moment.

Would a bit of quiet help?
A closed door, a notebook, a deep breath, a slightly less caffeinated brain?

Take 15 seconds right now:

  • Let your shoulders drop.
  • Feel the contact of your feet with the floor.
  • Notice one breath in, one breath out.

No need to name what you feel—just let it register.

There’s no perfect setup. Just one that makes it easier to hear yourself think.
Sometimes, as Solan began to notice, burnout isn’t signaled by collapse—it’s the quiet fading of what once made us feel fully alive.

Questions to Consider

(You don’t have to answer all of them. Let one or two find you.)

  • What parts of me may have shifted, quieted, or faded in the rhythm of work?
  • How do I tend to evaluate my worth—and where might those patterns come from?
  • When I follow those patterns, how does it feel in my body? What do I start ignoring?
  • Are there unspoken agreements I’ve made about rest, sacrifice, or being available?
  • Where did those come from? Do they still feel true?
  • When do I feel most like myself these days? What supports that feeling?
  • If that feeling had a texture or color in my body, what would it be? Where does it tend to show up?
  • If I reimagined how I engage with medicine—not to leave, but to approach it differently—what small experiment might I try?

Optional Mini-Anchor

On a scrap of paper, write one phrase that captures your “most like myself” state. Keep it somewhere you’ll see in the next week—a pocket, a desk drawer, a phone note. Let it be a quiet reminder.

Closing Thought

Some pressures come from within.
Some from invisible structures—workload, documentation, expectations we never agreed to.
It helps to notice what’s yours to carry… and what isn’t.

You can take what’s useful and leave the rest.

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