Be Your Own Cheerleader: A Simple Mindset Shift to Help Physicians Leave Work on Time

High school swim meets can be very intense. Teammates crowd at the edge of the pool, cheering and chanting for their teammate to keep going, to keep the momentum, to do their best until the race is over. The deafening yet unified chants from teammates cheering together generates an energy and momentum that is almost palpable to everyone. It is clear that the teammates and the swimmer have a shared purpose – to win the race. What if you could bring that same energy into your workday as a physician?

It has become a norm that many physicians are working after hours to finish writing the patient charts, tackling inbox messages and calling back patients. Many evenings and weekends are consumed by work, resulting in fatigue, frustration and loss of joy in medicine. The problem is not just the workload. It is also the lack of internal support during the day.

What if you become your own cheerleader? Allow yourself to magnify a supportive inner voice instead of a critical one. It is an intentional self-encouragement throughout the day. If you were in a swim meet, you are both the swimmer and the crowd cheering. It is important to realize that you always have someone on your team – yourself.

How does self-cheering improve efficiency? When you cheer yourself on, there is an increase in motivation and momentum to keep going, especially when you are doing something you do not particularly enjoy, such as charting. Self-cheering reduces the mental resistance to tasks. You also gain more ability to recover faster from setbacks. These translate to less procrastination on writing notes. You have more focus while seeing the patients and between patients. You have a greater likelihood of finishing on time. The idea is that encouragement from cheerleading has become your fuel for action, while you are dialing down criticism which slows you down.

Cheer yourself on when you are doing well. For example, when you are finishing a patient’s note before seeing the next patient, say to yourself, “Nice job! Keep going.” This reinforces productor behavior. Cheer yourself when you experience a setback. When you are running behind schedule or having a difficult patient encounter, tell yourself, “That was tough. You’ve got this – reset and move forward.” This prevents the downward spiral of thinking and believing that you cannot be on schedule or you cannot handle a tough situation in a timely manner. When you are falling behind because your schedule is delayed for some reason or when your inbox is overfilled, say to yourself, “Let’s catch up, one step at a time.” This restores control and focus.

The more people cheer, the better. Just like in a swim meet, it is more powerful to have more people to cheer on. Encourage staff involvement. Emphasize positive reinforcement among team members. Appreciate one another. Always share simple acknowledgements, such as “great flow today” or “we are doing well”. Cheer your staff on as well. For you to work well, it is essential for your team to be well. You are shifting the culture from stress and isolation to shared momentum.

Back at the swim meet – the louder the unified cheer, the more amplified the effort of the swimmer is. In medicine, the more “cheerleaders”, the more energy and efficiency is generated. Feeling supported reduces burnout. You are not alone. Someone is there with you. Feeling connected increases motivation to do better.

If you want to achieve a goal, you keep your eyes on the finish line. Most physicians’ goal is to provide excellent patient care, leave work on time and enjoy life outside of medicine. Self-cheering helps physicians visualize their goals better. Self-cheering allows momentum to build throughout the day. The result is that physicians are moving closer and closer to the finish line.

You get to decide how to be your own cheerleader. Choose one encouraging phrase to repeat, such as “great job, keep going”. Or pause between patients for a mental reset – reflect quickly on what went well and encourage yourself to keep at it. Acknowledge small wins in real time. Many small shifts transform into a big cumulative impact.

You already have a built-in support system – you. Let yourself be your own best supporter and cheerleader. Hear your own voice cheering you on. The more you support yourself, the closer you get to finishing strong – and on time.