WRITER Dee Makadia

Optometry has always been a balance of technology and people. But in today’s world of advanced eye care, endless data, and full appointment books, many practitioners find themselves struggling to keep up. Between managing reports, complex cases, and patient expectations, it’s easy to forget that resilience isn’t just about getting through the day – it’s about pacing ourselves, supporting each other, and creating systems that allow us to show up at our best.

When our workflow is streamlined and our team feels supported, everyone benefits – the practitioner, the practice, and ultimately the patient. So, it’s worth asking: how can you be more supportive in your workplace right now?

Eye care today isn’t what it used to be. We’ve got incredible tools: advanced tonopachymeters measuring intraocular pressure (IOP), corneal curvature and central corneal thickness; high-resolution optical coherence tomography devices (OCT), visual field testing with multiple protocols, and even artificial intelligence (AI)-driven risk analysis. We’re at a very exciting time in optometry, but with all this information many of us feel more stretched than ever.

Tighter appointment schedules, earlier reviews, more data to interpret, and a mountain of admin work all contribute to quiet overwhelm. A recent JAMA Ophthalmology review described glaucoma management as “lifelong monitoring, treatment, and long-term follow up”.1 For practitioners, that means consistently analysing 25–30 glaucoma specific clinical data points per patient, and sometimes more.

It’s no surprise that even the most capable clinicians can feel under pressure. The workload has intensified, but the systems around us haven’t always evolved at the same pace.

CASE REFLECTION: WHEN PASSION STARTS TO FADE

A few months ago, I caught up with Sarah Jones.* She runs an independent practice and is known for her thorough glaucoma reviews and loyal patient base. But lately, she admitted she’d been feeling “flat”. Her clinic days were packed, and with that, her admin had mounted up. What had been an “occasional pressure”, was becoming the daily norm.

Contrary to popular belief, constant pressure doesn’t always create diamonds; it leads to stress. In fact, as Westfall et al. wrote, “Chronic stress has been causally linked to inflammation in the periphery and the brain, and this chronic low-grade inflammation resulting from chronic stress has become a major risk factor for the evolution of stress-induced psychiatric impairment”.2 In Ms Jones’ case, she’d stopped celebrating the small wins that once fuelled her. Nothing dramatic had gone wrong, she was simply heading to burnout.

We talked about her schedule, and one thing stood out. Every day was filled to capacity, without even time to send reports to the GP or check-in with the team out front. Like many of us, she was productive but would fall asleep the moment she got home. Together, we restructured her diary, built in two short 10-minute admin slots per day, allocated specific times for more complicated patients and shorter appointments for simple reviews.

Within weeks, she told me her energy was better, her team felt happier, and the patient journey was smoother.

Sometimes resilience isn’t about pushing harder, it’s about taking another look at how we work and not being afraid to change.

WHAT RESILIENCE REALLY MEANS IN YOUR WORKPLACE

At the best of times, a basic consultation involves thorough questioning around current symptoms, lifestyle, ocular health, general health, and family history. That, in itself, can easily reveal 40 data points. Now add that to 60 more from clinical findings and you’re well over 100 data points before you even reach a diagnosis. Throw time pressure in the mix, and you’ve got the recipe for burnout.

Studies in healthcare (cognitive load theory) show that our working mind has limits.3 When the clinic is full of interruptions, multitasking, stress, or poor communication that mental load rises quickly. This doesn’t just make the day harder, it can reduce accuracy and increase fatigue, even for the most experienced clinicians.

To succeed, we must be resilient. And to be resilient, we must learn to be adaptable.

It’s about looking at your challenges as opportunities for growth. Reflect and ask yourself what could be done differently next time. Then work through the steps, one by one and ensure your colleagues support you.

The support of well-trained teams can really lighten the mental load. Whether they are managing patients who arrive late, handling challenges during pre-testing, performing tests, or multitasking to take on a handover, your team also needs to be adaptable and resilient.

BUILD PERSONAL AND TEAM RESILIENCE

The strongest practices don’t rely on individuals ‘holding it all together’ – they build systems that support people to thrive. Here are three tips I’ve seen make a real difference.

The physiological sigh. A 2023 Stanford study involving Dr Andrew Huberman found that the ‘physiological sigh’ – which I call a double breath – a deep inhale, a second smaller inhale, and a long slow exhale, produced the fastest drop in stress, the biggest reduction in breathing rate, and the largest increase in heart rate variability compared with other breathing techniques. In other words, it’s one of the quickest ways to calm your body.4

The power of shared reflection. The United States Navy SEALs are known to be highly successful at what they do, despite working in high-pressure environments. One of the standout activities that helps them regulate is a mission debrief. In your workplace, at the end of the day, take five minutes with your colleague or team to talk about one thing that went well and one thing you’d do differently tomorrow. These small, honest debriefs allow for mental decompression, build trust, and create a safe environment to unpack. When I became a practice owner, this debrief culture really helped me transition from being a team member to being a leader.

Celebrate the invisible wins with your patient. In macular degeneration and glaucoma care, for example, success can be slow and steady – it’s about keeping a patient stable, improving adherence, or even catching early progression. We need to celebrate these moments. It’s easy to overlook the value of stability, but for patients, that’s life changing.

CREATE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT

Thriving clinics with resilient teams usually have calm, steady leaders; not loud, not perfect – just consistent. Leaders who can say, “I don’t have all the answers, but let’s figure this out together”.

Research into healthcare teams shows that when staff feel psychologically safe, error reporting and collaboration improve dramatically.5 It’s not about lowering standards; it’s about creating an environment where people can speak up before small issues become big ones. A quick shift you can make right now is to lead with empathy; create that safe space for one another to grow.

In Ms Jones’ case, once she began holding team huddles each morning, something shifted. Her staff stepped up; they were in the right frame of mind for the day ahead, and the clinic ran more smoothly. The tone changed from reactive to proactive, from stress to order.

INVEST IN LEARNING AND CONNECTION

Professional development isn’t just about meeting the requirements of the Optometry Board Australia. As optometry becomes more diverse, it is crucial to stay current.

You may or may not like change, but the truth is, we’ve seen more advances in optical technology in the past seven years than we did in the previous 30.

If these changes feel like a lot, it’s because they are. You’re not alone. Many optometrists who have been practising for decades feel it even more. So how do they manage? They stay connected with their peers; sharing stories, comparing experiences, and learning from one another.

A 2023 study found that teams who stayed connected through peer support experienced less stress and better wellbeing, helping them cope more effectively with ongoing organisational change.6 I’ve seen that in my own coaching groups too – simply talking about new tech or breakthroughs can bring confidence, perspective, and renewed energy.

EMBED A STRONG CULTURE

Embedding a strong culture within your practice cannot be achieved overnight, however there are a few things you can do straight away:

• Introduce one positive, sustainable habit, like a five-minute debrief with a colleague or a shared gratitude board in the staff tearoom,

• Be clearer in your leadership style and communication when talking to your team and customers. And I want to reiterate – lead with empathy,

• Give yourself and others permission – to try, and to fail. Failure is the greatest teacher, and

• Look to support each other – when you need help, ask. This sounds simple, but too often we either get caught up in what we’re doing or feel too embarrassed.

CLOSING REFLECTION

Resilience is formed through small moments: a breath, a debrief, a supportive teammate. Technology will continue to change, but there’s nothing more important than human connection.

*Practitioner name changed for anonymity.

Dee Makadia is a franchisee coach and strategist with hands-on experience building and leading high performing franchise businesses. Having operated a successful optical franchise, he now helps all franchise owners strengthen leadership, structure, and performance through his Franchise Mastery framework. Visit: deemakadia.com.

References available at mivision.com.au.