Q: My wife is a physician and I feel that she is very overworked and she seems tired all the time. I am trying to be patient, however, I feel it is taking a toll on our marriage. What can I do to help her?
A: We know that physician typically goes through this in their work. If she has her own practice, then she has more control over her hours and scheduling. If she works in a hospital setting, it may be she is feeling she cannot call the shots. The energy she takes into her work can energize or drain her. Either way, it sounds as though she needs more time for herself and her marriage. People in service positions tend to feel overworked, and it’s a balancing act between work and home life.
You may want to talk with your wife about what you are observing and let her know you are concerned about her overall health and well-being. See if she will be able to either talk with hospital administration on reducing her hours or if she is in practice for herself, perhaps she can lighten her patient load.
She needs to recognize the need for her own self-care or she is at high risk of burnout. It’s also not fair to you if you have time to spend with her and she is always working. Let her know your feelings and ask her how you both can come to a reasonable compromise to have both a happy and energetic work life while having time to yourselves and with each other.