The Routine of Busyness

“The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.”
–Sydney J. Harris 

During a recent conversation with my physician coach, I found myself reflecting on my favorite part of our family vacation to the Caribbean. We snorkeled, swam with turtles, rented jet skis, held starfish, and even celebrated the New Year under a sky full of fireworks. My wife even kissed a stingray! But the highlight for me wasn’t the sights or the adventures. It was the quiet mornings. Waking up, brewing a pot of coffee, and sitting in the screened-in porch with my wife, simply talking as we listened to the waves. It felt luxurious, not because of anything extravagant but because it was a rare pause. A forced slowdown. A moment completely outside my usual routine. No charts, no schedules, no rushing from one responsibility to the next. Just being.

My usual routine, like that of many physicians, is packed to the brim. The commute, the clinic, the inbox, the expectations. Everything moving at a relentless pace. But in those quiet mornings, time felt different—unrushed, expansive, almost sacred. It was a reminder that sometimes the most meaningful moments aren’t the ones we plan but the ones we allow ourselves to fully experience. 

Sometimes, it takes stepping out of our routines to truly see how much we need that pause. Away from the constant demands, I was able to reconnect—not just with my wife, but with myself. It got me thinking—how often do we rush past these simple moments, not realizing they’re the ones that actually keep us going? It turns out that slowing down doesn’t mean stopping. It means catching up with yourself.

The challenge isn’t just slowing down during vacation. It’s learning how to transition in and out of that space with intention. Frequently, we treat vacations as an escape from a life that exhausts us, only to crash back into the same pace when we return home. But what if we saw these breaks as gifts, not just to ourselves but to our families and our future selves? What if we actively designed a life that included these pauses before burnout made them necessary?

2024 was one of my busiest years yet—balancing a full-time clinical practice, a growing physician coaching business, a podcast, marriage, and two kids, all while navigating the inevitable challenges of a packed life. As the pace intensified, it became clear that something had to give. So, I made the decision to reduce my clinical time from five to four days a week—not as a luxury, but as a necessity. It was a step toward creating the space I needed to show up better for my family, my patients, my coaching clients, and myself.

Slowing down sounds great in theory, but in practice, it can feel uncomfortable—sometimes even unbearable. When you're used to moving at full speed, constantly checking off tasks and measuring your days by output, stillness can feel foreign. There’s a strange guilt that creeps in, a nagging sense that you should be doing more. Productivity becomes so ingrained that rest starts to feel like a failure rather than a necessity.

But every Wednesday, I step out of that whirlwind. Whether by design or necessity, that midweek shift is a forced slowdown, a chance to recalibrate. I used to resist these pauses, feeling like I should always be maximizing productivity. But I’ve come to realize that these breaks aren’t a detour from my work; they fuel my ability to do it well. Slowing down isn’t about doing less—it’s about making space to do what truly matters.

If you’re feeling the pull to slow down but struggling to give yourself permission, you’re not alone. The world rewards speed, output, and constant motion—but life happens in the pauses. The conversations over coffee, the walks without a destination, the quiet moments where we remember who we are beyond our to-do lists. You don’t have to wait for a vacation or a breaking point to claim that space. Maybe it starts with one small shift—an afternoon off, a morning without a plan, a single moment of stillness. Because the time to relax really is when you don’t have time for it.

1. When was the last time you intentionally slowed down, not because you had to, but because you chose to? 
2. How do you transition in and out of vacation mode, and what small rituals help you carry that peace into daily life? 
3. How can you build a “forced slowdown” into your weekly routine—something that nourishes you rather than just fills your schedule?

Feeling stuck and trying to figure out “What’s Next?” I invite you to download my FREE GUIDE: The 5 Essential Steps Every Physician Needs To Figure Out “What’s Next?”

This resource offers practical, actionable steps to help you take back control of your career, set clear goals, and make consistent progress toward the life you genuinely want.

PS.  I get a lot of inspiration from music lyrics.  Many people use inspiring quotes (and I do, too), but music really speaks to me.  I hope you find inspiration in the songs, too.

Billy Joel - Vienna 

 Click here for the lyrics.