7 hobbies physicians swear by

Nearly 71% of physicians say they use hobbies to maintain their happiness and mental health, according to Medscape's 2024 Physician Lifestyle & Happiness Report, which surveyed more than 9,200 U.S. physicians across 29 specialties. That makes hobbies the second most commonly cited well-being strategy among doctors, behind only time with family and friends.

Burnout still affects roughly 42% of the profession, though the figure has declined for three consecutive years. The gap between knowing outside interests help and actually protecting time for them is real — and for physicians in private practice navigating long hours and administrative burden, the stakes of closing that gap are not trivial.