I don’t know about you, but this is the point of the summer where I am just over it. Over the heat. Over the humidity. Over the season, and ready for fall. Unfortunately, cooler days are still a month, maybe more, away. It’s times like these where we can really fall into a rut. Some call it “burnout.”
Feeling burned out, whether at work, at school or even just with the weather, is a real problem that many people face, especially with the ever-lingering trauma of COVID lurking in the background. But while unsettling, it’s a perfectly natural state, and one that can be eased with a few lifestyle changes. We’ve got tips for the body and the mind to help navigate these dog days of summer, the effects of burnout and waning pandemic life.
This is also our annual “Top Doctors” issue, in which we highlight professionals who are doing the most, especially right now, to keep us all healthy – a tall order indeed. The past couple of years have been challenging for these dedicated professionals, who have navigated the early days of COVID, through waves of variants and vaccines, to a new reality of not-quite-post-pandemic. Talk about burnout, indeed.
Our cover feature profiles pediatric immunologist Dr. Luke Wall, who shepherds his patients, and their families, not only through routine allergies and immunological issues, but took on the nearly overwhelming challenge of diagnosing and treating the unknown impacts of COVID-19 on children.
We also get an insider’s look at the impacts of the pandemic on emergency medicine physicians across New Orleans. From the very beginning, these everyday heroes have been on the front lines of the fight to save lives, while also navigating the challenges of keeping themselves and their families safe, both in body and in spirit.
Many of us have much to be grateful for with the advances of COVID-19 treatments, vaccines and boosters, along with the dedication of healthcare professionals to guide us through the pandemic storm. Now’s the time to refill our well of gratitude, put out the “burnout” fires and move into a new phase of rest and recovery.
Cooler weather is coming; hang in there.
Ashley McLellan, Editor
