Episode 126: The Mental Load of Medicine, Burnout, Family, and Meaningful Change

Welcome to the Sustainable Clinical Medicine Podcast!

In today’s episode, Dr. Sarah Smith sits down with Dr. Sarah Lea, a family and addiction medicine physician based in Victoria, BC, to discuss her deeply personal and transformative journey through medicine. Together, they dive into Dr. Lea’s experiences navigating medical training, motherhood, and a rewarding but complex clinical career—including her candid account of facing and working through burnout.

Dr. Lea shares how she balanced demanding clinical roles, built an innovative perinatal addiction medicine program, and ultimately made tough decisions to prioritize her well-being and her family. Listeners will hear about the support systems and strategies she used, like coaching, therapy, and honest conversations at home, as well as her passion for supporting other physicians facing burnout. Plus, Dr. Lea discusses her ongoing work in coaching, retreats, and her own podcast—all aimed at helping clinicians lead more sustainable and fulfilling lives.

If you’re looking for inspiration, practical tools, and validation that you’re not alone in the challenges of practicing medicine, you won’t want to miss this insightful and heartfelt episode.

Here are 3 key takeaways from this episode:

1. Burnout is often invisible on the outside: Lea describes how, even while “holding it together” at work, burnout showed up at home—as irritability, distraction, and feeling disconnected from family. It’s a powerful reminder to check in with how we’re actually feeling, not just performing.
2. Support and coaching are essential tools: For Dr. Lea, reaching out to a coach and counselor helped her gain clarity and prioritize her needs, both professionally and personally. Finding or building your support system can be career-saving.
3. Teamwork matters—at home and at work: Whether it’s sharing responsibilities with a partner or building multi-disciplinary teams in healthcare, sustainability comes from collaboration. Delegating tasks and honest conversations can lighten the load for everyone.

Meet Dr. Sarah Lea:

Dr. Sarah A. Lea is a family and addiction medicine physician, executive coach, and wellness champion based in Victoria, BC. With a background in women's health and over a decade in clinical practice, she blends science, storytelling, and soul in her talks and workshops. Whether she’s coaching burned-out docs, speaking on perinatal addiction, or helping teams build real-deal resilience, Sarah brings both the evidence and the empathy. She’s also a certified meditation instructor and TEDx speaker who believes that well-being is the secret sauce to sustainable healthcare—and she's on a mission to help others lead with energy, authenticity, and heart.

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Would you like to view a transcript of this episode? Click here

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