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Tactical strategies to protect your energy and prevent burnout
By Arti Shah, OD, FAAO
Jan. 9, 2026
When I became an optometrist, I was inspired by how our profession balanced scientific rigor with the flexibility to grow both a career and family. Today, women make up nearly half of practicing optometrists and a majority of new graduates1, but my journey—and that of so many women I know—attests to how old challenges persist. From pay disparities and societal stigma to the juggling act of patient care and parenting, finding real integration is an ongoing effort.
I’ve lost count of how many late nights I’ve spent charting or responding to emails, only to come home to a different list of responsibilities. And I know I’m not alone. Women optometrists still earn $30,000 less annually than our male colleagues even with comparable hours1. Nearly half of us are the primary or sole income earners in our families2, yet we’re often expected to pick up the bulk of caregiving and household tasks too. Many of us also find ourselves in the “sandwich generation,” taking care of both our children and aging parents. The challenge of doing it all takes a toll, and it’s something I hear echoed in almost every conversation with my peers. The guilt and burnout are real, but so too is our resourcefulness and resilience.
Drawing on personal experience and findings from the ALIGN survey of 46 professionally engaged female optometrists, I’ll explore the evolving demographics of the profession, ongoing gender disparities and strategies women use to achieve greater balance and satisfaction in their careers. Here’s part one.
DEFINE CORE VALUES AND PRIORITIES
For so many of us, wearing multiple hats is a way of life. Women are statistically more likely to experience “time poverty”3 due to disproportionate unpaid work and mental load. I’ve had days where I’m jumping between patients, meetings or projects, fielding urgent phone calls from the school, racing through grocery lists in my head and wondering if I’m letting something important slip through the cracks. It’s easy to lose sight of what’s truly important as an optometrist, mother, partner, daughter and community member.
Why It Matters
When we’re clear on our values and priorities, everything else will fall into place. Regular reflection allows us to focus on what really matters rather than reacting to every demand. 78% of the ALIGN survey participants who engaged in regular reflection reported more motivation and professional joy. Priorities act as a compass—you can’t do everything, but you can focus on what matters most.
Practical Tools
Todoist and Trello help you sort and track your goals, while a quarterly reflection session with a journal, planner, OneNote or Apple Reminders can keep your intentions front and center.
PROTECT YOUR TIME WITH BOUNDARIES
If you’re anything like me, your time can feel like the town square—everyone’s got a reason to stop by and ask for just one more thing. Patients need after-hours care, colleagues need coverage, family expects you to attend every gathering and the list goes on. I used to think saying yes to everything was just part of being a dedicated professional and a good parent, but soon I realized I was running myself ragged.
Setting and maintaining boundaries is vital for women, who are often socialized to be accommodating. Saying no4 doesn’t make you less capable, less committed or unfit for leadership. Yet that guilt is valid and overwhelming. In the ALIGN survey, half of respondents said they were uncomfortable saying no, and nearly 90% reported feeling guilty when protecting their boundaries. It’s a tough habit to break.
Why It Matters
Boundaries aren’t barriers. They’re vital safeguards for our mental and physical health. The more clearly and respectfully we set limits, the less resentment, exhaustion and burnout we experience. And when we show others that protecting our time is nonnegotiable, we normalize self-respect for our teams and our families.
Practical Tools
I use Google Calendar (which integrates nicely with my Outlook Calendar) to block off time for myself and family—those appointments are as sacred as any patient or meeting slot. Automated “out of office” replies, policies like “no work texts after 7 p.m.,” separate work and personal devices and the book “Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes are High” can help reinforce those boundaries.
DELEGATE AND AUTOMATE
I’ll admit—I used to believe that if I wanted something done right, it would be easier to do it myself. Whether it was ordering my own specialty contact lenses, answering every patient message, coordinating school pickups or planning family dinners, I piled it onto my plate. But all that control came with a price: constant stress and limited bandwidth.
Per the ALIGN survey, most women ODs are comfortable with the idea of delegating at work, but fewer than half do it. Often it’s because we haven’t had the chance to train our teams, we’re working with tight budgets or—just like me—don’t want to give up control. The result is burnout, frustration and missed opportunities for our practices, career and personal growth.
Why It Matters
The more we delegate to our staff, partner or children, the less we burn out and the more we support leadership development, team empowerment3 and trust. Delegation isn’t about shrinking responsibility but making space for what only we can do while helping those around us build new skills and share in the journey.
Practical Tools at Work
Employ or train office managers and virtual assistants for administrative tasks. Automate routine processes with Eye Cloud Pro, RevolutionEHR or Compulink. Use Solutionreach, Weave and Demandforce to handle appointment reminders and facilitate patient communication. Slack, Microsoft Teams and Asana streamline team communication and project management. And ChatGPT, Claude or Perplexity can help generate ideas in and out of the clinic.
Practical Tools at Home
I outsource with Instacart for groceries, Thumbtack or TaskRabbit for household tasks and HelloFresh or Blue Apron for meal delivery. You can strengthen your support system by using resources like a virtual personal assistant, a mother’s helper, Care.com or Nextdoor neighborhood groups for childcare and household help. Involve family members—especially children—in chores to lighten your workload while teaching them valuable skills4.
STAY TUNED FOR PART 2
This first installment lays the groundwork—clarifying values, protecting time with boundaries and delegation are just the first steps women can take toward greater work-life alignment. Stay tuned for part two, where I’ll share more practical, hands-on strategies and examples to help you put a balanced work-life philosophy into practice.
References
- Changes and Challenges: The evolving optometric workforce. February 26, 2025. WO_ChangesChallenges_FINAL_LowRes_0125 (1).pdf
- Debt and Income Equations. Women In Optometry. February 24, 2025. https://www.womeninoptometry.com/alcon/article/optometrys-money-matters/
- Ansary, Ahemed Shamim. 14 Effective Tips To Implement Balance for Women Work-Life CareerCliff. May 5, 2024, 14 Effective Tips To Implement Work-Life Balance for Women – CareerCliff
- Chui, Anna Yuen-Ting. Work Life Balance for Women: What It Means & How to Find It. LifeHack. September 11, 2023, Work Life Balance for Women: What It Means & How to Find It – LifeHack
For more on work-life balance, read “Do More in Less Time: Boost Morale and Efficiency” here.
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Arti Shah, OD, FAAO, holds the position of Professional and Academic Affairs Senior Manager at CooperVision, maintains an active optometric practice within a group private practice setting and holds a medical staff position at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. A graduate from UC Berkeley School of Optometry, she completed her fellowship training in Cornea and Contact Lens at SUNY. Dr. Shah is a recognized member of numerous professional organizations including the California Optometric Association, LA County Optometric Society, AOA, the International Keratoconus Academy and is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. To contact her: artishahod@yahoo.com |
