Title: JOY AT WORK - the WHAT, the WHY and the HOW of self-care and self-compassion for the MEDICAL PROFESSION using the L.I.F.E.S.T.Y.L.E FIRST Method

Biography:

Alka   Patel   is   a   GP,   Health   Coach   and   Lifestyle   Medicine Physician  in  the  UK.  She  is  a  Regional  Director  of  the  British Society  of  Lifestyle  Medicine,  a  Member  of  the  Royal  College of GPs  Wellbeing  Committee  and  a  GP  for  the  Practitioner  Health Service  providing  a  confidential  service  to  doctors  and  dentist suffering with significant mental health issues and addictions.

Abstract

Joy at work is about meaning and purpose and connection and ensuring that caring and healing, which is the essence of what physicians do, is a naturally joyful activity. And it centre’s on realising the critical value of self-care and self-compassion.

Medicine is an incredibly rewarding profession but the pressures can sometimes be too hard to bear and the question that remains is how can you circumvent these pressures and avoid the burnout and mental decline that affects so many?

We need to value and prioritise our own self-care and self- compassion as a profession and consider joy at wok to be an essential, not a luxury item. 

The most joyful people at work are the most productive and engaged and feel both physically and psychologically safe, appreciate the meaning and purpose of their work, have some choice and control over their time, experience camaraderie with others at work, and perceive their work life to be fair and equitable.