Life as a physician is a rewarding career, though it can be challenging to manage feeling overwhelmed by the many competing tasks required on the job—from face-to-face patient care to administrative burdens and a host of other responsibilities doctors face daily. For those living with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), it can be even more difficult. Strengthening one’s executive functioning skills—the ability to problem-solve, manage emotions, and adapt to new situations or surroundings—is an important way for all physicians to feel more resilient, regardless of whether they have ADHD.

Supporting executive functioning skills 

Dr Elisabeth Baerg Hall is a psychiatrist, Clinical Professor at UBC, and Director of the ADHD Centre for Education and Training. She specializes in working on executive functioning skills to support those with and without an ADHD diagnosis, including sessions workshops facilitated by Doctors of BC’s Physician Health Program (PHP). Her own personal experience as a physician with ADHD has informed her outlook and expertise both as an individual and a medical professional.

For doctors, medical culture can foster stress and pressures that can affect these skills. Many physicians in Dr Hall’s groups report struggles with unrealistic expectations, perceived and real. She notes that “internalized, invisible standards” often contribute to perfectionism, burnout and overwhelm. Dr Hall states that "While executive function challenges are a hallmark of ADHD, we all need to plan, prioritize, manage emotions, and balance multiple cognitive and sensory inputs, and we all can experience difficulties. If you are not sleeping well, not eating properly, or not exercising enough, it can affect your resilience.”

Dr Hall also notes that much of the stress physicians experience stems from issues that require broader systemic change, such as administrative burdens. However, some simple tips can support doctors as they navigate their working lives. “Having ready access to workable executive functioning skills tools is something that all physicians, everyone really, can benefit from.”

Feeling overwhelmed? These steps can help

Feelings of overwhelm are commonly shared in Dr Hall’s groups, and she shares four steps to help manage this emotion in the moment. 

  • Pause. Try to stop for a moment and take some deep breaths—try the box breathing technique.
  • Notice. Notice and accept the feeling of overwhelm without judging or comparing. “It’s much easier to change a behaviour when you aren’t flooded with emotion or frozen with inaction.”
  • Act. Find one small thing you can do that will give you a feeling of success. This could be as simple as booking an appointment for yourself that you had been putting off.
  • Connect. Connect with others to share your experiences, whether informally, in a group setting, a workshop, or with a trusted colleague. Physicians can also connect with PHP to get the support they need. Their clinical team includes physician peers who understand the physician experience. 

The evolving ADHD conversation

When it comes to the reality of ADHD and how conversations are evolving, Dr Hall said that “many physicians are seeing the amazing changes that come from diagnosing ADHD in their patients and for themselves, if they have it.” She is hopeful about developments that will support education for physicians treating people with ADHD. “The more awareness about the challenges for doctors with ADHD can help create a better system and allow physicians and patients alike to let go of shame, embrace their strengths, and live by their values.”

Visit the Physician Health Program webpage to learn more about the executive functioning workshop, the other workshops on offer, and how the Physician Health Program can support you and your colleagues.