The 78% Problem: Why Practice Managers Can't Unplug and What to Do About It

It is March 2026, and the data sitting on my desk right now is startling. Despite all the technological "advances" meant to streamline our lives, the latest industry reports show that 78% of practice managers feel it is impossible to fully disconnect from their work.

Think about that for a second. More than three-quarters of the people running our healthcare facilities, dental practices, and public health clinics are effectively "on the clock" 24/7. They are answering emails at 10 PM, triaging staffing crises over Sunday brunch, and checking patient schedules before their first cup of coffee.

I’ve seen this firsthand in my coaching sessions. I see brilliant, dedicated leaders who are "quietly cracking." They aren't failing because they lack skill; they are failing because they lack the discipline of disconnection.

If you feel like you’re part of that 78%, I want you to know something: Resilience is not about "toughing it out." It’s about the strategic recovery that allows you to show up when it actually matters.

The Myth of the "Always-On" Leader

In high-stress sectors, there’s often a badge of honor associated with burnout. We treat exhaustion as a proxy for commitment. If you aren't exhausted, are you even trying?

But here’s the reality: an "always-on" leader is eventually a "dimmed" leader. When you don't unplug, your decision-making degrades, your empathy wanes, and your ability to lead through crisis vanishes. We often talk about leadership burnout in 2026 as a systemic issue: and it is: but it’s also a personal resilience issue.

At Frederick Solutions LLC, we use the PR6 Resilience Model to help leaders navigate these waters. To solve the 78% problem, we have to look specifically at two critical domains: Health and Composure.

Domain 1: Health – The Biological Cost of the "Ping"

When we talk about the Health domain in the PR6 model, we aren't just talking about hitting the gym or eating your greens. We are talking about the biological foundation of leadership.

Every time your phone pings at 9:00 PM and you "just check it real quick," your brain spikes with cortisol. You’ve just exited a state of recovery and re-entered a state of high-alert. For 78% of practice managers, this state of high-alert never actually ends.

I’ve found that many leaders ignore the 5 executive resilience coaching secrets that save careers, and the most important one is simple: Sleep and mental downtime are non-negotiable business assets.

If your Health domain is compromised because you can’t unplug, your cognitive reasoning slows down. You become reactive. You start making "good enough" decisions instead of "great" ones. Preventing burnout in healthcare leaders starts with recognizing that your brain is a biological organ that requires a "power down" phase to function.

Domain 2: Composure – Staying Level When the Pressure Mounts

The second domain hit hard by the inability to unplug is Composure. Composure is your ability to regulate your emotions and maintain a calm, steady presence for your team.

When you are constantly tethered to work, your emotional "margin" disappears. You become irritable. A minor scheduling conflict feels like a catastrophe. You might even start experiencing secondary trauma, absorbing the stress of your staff because you don't have the emotional bandwidth to filter it.

Resilience is the ability to maintain Composure under pressure, but you cannot maintain Composure if you are perpetually overstimulated. I often tell my clients: "You cannot pour from an empty cup, but you also cannot lead from a frayed nerve."

If you find yourself snapping at colleagues or feeling a sense of dread when your phone vibrates, your Composure domain is waving a red flag. It’s time to stop "toughing it out" and start disconnecting.

Resilience is the Discipline of Disconnection

We need to reframe how we view "unplugging." It isn't a luxury. It isn't a sign of weakness. It is a high-level leadership discipline.

In my years of professional coaching, I’ve discovered that the most resilient leaders aren't the ones who work the most hours; they are the ones who are the most intentional about their "off" hours. They understand that leadership burnout is often a result of mistakes made with leadership grit. They realize that true grit includes the courage to say, "I am unavailable right now."

Here is how you can start practicing the discipline of disconnection today:

1. Define the "Blackout" Zone: Pick a time: say, 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM: where work communications are strictly off-limits. Communicate this to your team. They need to know that you trust them to handle things and that you are modeling healthy behavior.

2. The Two-Device Strategy: If possible, have a work phone and a personal phone. When the workday ends, the work phone goes in a drawer. Out of sight, out of mind.

3. Audit Your Notifications: You don't need a push notification for every "thank you" email. Turn off everything except the absolute essentials.

4. Practice "Reasoning" over "Reaction": Use the Reasoning domain of the PR6 model to evaluate your tasks. Is this "emergency" truly an emergency, or can it wait until 8:00 AM? Most of the time, it can wait.

Why This Matters for Your Team

When a practice manager can't unplug, the team feels it. It creates a culture of anxiety. If the boss is emailing at midnight, the staff feels they should be checking their phones at midnight, too. This leads to quiet cracking across your entire organization.

By choosing to disconnect, you are giving your team permission to do the same. You are building a resilient culture that can withstand the pressures of the modern healthcare environment. This is how you lead effectively when the system feels broken.

Take the Next Step: Resilient Leader Bootcamp

If you’re struggling to find that balance: if you feel like you’re drowning in that 78% statistic: I want to invite you to something transformative.

On May 27-28, 2026, I’m hosting the Resilient Leader Bootcamp in beautiful Lake Stevens, WA. This isn't just another seminar where we talk about "wellness." This is a deep dive into the PR6 domains. We will give you the practical, evidence-based tools to master your Composure, protect your Health, and build a roadmap for long-term leadership success.

We’ll cover:

• How to build a personalized resilience plan using the PR6 Model (Vision, Composure, Reasoning, Health, Tenacity, and Collaboration).

• Burnout prevention training specifically designed for those in high-stress sectors.

• Strategies to navigate the "always-on" culture without losing your edge.

Ready to join us? You can find all the event details here.

As a thank you for being a part of our community, use the code EARLYBIRD20 to get a head start on your registration.

Don't let yourself be another statistic in the 78% problem. Leadership is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s time to learn how to pace yourself so you can cross the finish line with your health, your sanity, and your passion intact.

Together, we can move from surviving to thriving. I’ll see you in Lake Stevens.