Why wellbeing starts with honest conversations
Article by: Dr Rachel Magennis
Dr Rachel Magennis, a consultant radiologist at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and RCR Support and Wellbeing Champion, shares her experience with burnout and why talking to colleagues and setting boundaries are essential for our wellbeing.
Could you tell us about your role as a support and wellbeing champion and what it involves?
My role is to raise awareness and promote wellbeing in a supportive and practical way. This includes signposting individuals to support, creating psychologically safe spaces for reflection (such as Schwartz Rounds), and supporting residents and colleagues to seek help early.
By normalising these conversations and encouraging leaders to improve systems and culture, individuals should feel supported without stigma, pressure or perceived expectation to ‘cope’ and ‘be more resilient’.
Have you experienced stress and burnout during your career? If so, how did you recognise it and what helped you recover?
Yes – work-related stress has been part of my career. I recognise it through early warning signs like emotional exhaustion and a sense of just ‘getting through the day’. What helps me is naming it early, talking to trusted colleagues, reducing isolation and addressing boundaries.
It is so important to remind ourselves, as Christina Maslach, Professor of Psychology (Emerita) and researcher at the Healthy Workplaces Center at the University of California, Berkeley, emphasises in her work, that burnout is not an individual failing but a response to dysfunctional systems. Time off alone is not the fix; change has to happen in the working environment for things to improve. Although that means there are significant elements beyond our control, there are still ways that we can address our own stress management. Re-setting work-life balance through boundaries and finding time for the things we enjoy is a great way to start.
What are some practical ways doctors can support colleagues who may be struggling?
- Notice changes in behaviour, not just performance
- Small acts of compassion, done consistently and authentically, really matter
- Ask simple questions: ‘How are you really doing?’
- Listen without trying to fix
- Normalise seeking support and signpost wherever you can
- Escalate concerns when workload or systems are unsafe.
What do you wish more people in radiology talked about when it comes to mental health and wellbeing?
I wish we talked more openly about the emotional load of the job, decision fatigue, moral distress and fear of error, and less about individual ‘coping’. We also need more honest conversations about how rota design, workload, IT systems, culture and leadership behaviours directly affect wellbeing.
To encourage these conversations, we need to start them in our normal professional spaces by:
- Building reflective time into MDTs, teaching sessions and departmental meetings
- Using or creating psychologically safe forums such as Schwartz Rounds and reflection groups
- Using case-based discussions that include emotional impact, not just technical learning
- Normalising phrases like ‘this was hard’ and ‘this stayed with me’
- Linking conversations to systems (workload, rotas, IT and staffing) rather than personal weakness
- Ensuring senior clinicians role-model openness and foster a supportive culture.
What challenges do you think doctors face in seeking support for their wellbeing?
Stigma, fear of judgement, concerns about career impact, lack of time and not knowing where to turn. Many doctors also feel they should cope because others seem to be managing, when in reality many are struggling quietly.
What are your top tips for taking charge of your own wellbeing as a radiologist?
- If the system is impacting you, that’s not personal failure
- Learn your early warning signs and act on them
- Stay connected – relationships are key, don’t struggle alone
- Protect the basics: sleep, breaks, hydration/diet and movement
- Set realistic boundaries wherever you can
- Use reflective spaces such as Schwartz Rounds.
We’ve launched a range of guidance to promote a supportive workplace culture and help you thrive professionally and personally. Explore our Support and Wellbeing Hub with practical resources on mentoring, neurodiversity and sexual safety at work.