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 centres 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.