Protecting Meaning & Joy in Medicine in Challenging Times
Protecting Meaning & Joy in Medicine in Challenging Times
A Physician’s Reflection and Invitation
When the Spark Feels Dim
I remember my early days as an ER doc. A time when the meaning in my work was easier to grasp. I easily found meaning in the smile of a young mom reassured that her child had a simple viral syndrome and would soon be okay, or in taking a few minutes to teach a medical student, resident, nurse, or tech, or in the quick “side consult” with a colleague when I was dealing with a challenging case.
However, in today’s medicine, those moments of meaning and joy have become harder to spot. Between charting, completion of increasing checklists and protocols, and the relentless sense of “having to move faster”, it often feels like our days are just filled with noise and pressure. In a world where everyone, including our patients, are hurried and stressed, smiles and “thank yous” seem to land less frequently. This can sometimes cause us to question if what we are doing has any real meaning.
If this is where you are finding yourself these days, just know that you are not alone and that you are NOT failing. The relentless demands and pace of working in healthcare can test anyone’s spark. AND, thankfully, there is a way to retain and even rebuild meaning and joy in what we do every day! I’ve learned that meaning and joy are not passive. You can’t just wait for them to happen. They must be invited and fiercely protected, especially in the most challenging seasons.
Name the Joy Blockers
First, it is important to simply name what is blocking you from experiencing joy and meaning in your work and your life overall. Try to do this honestly, openly, and with the willingness to learn more about what is important to you. Avoid judgement. Imagine that you are asking this of someone whom you love unconditionally and listen to yourself with the same love and compassion you would offer them. Also, try not to play the blame game. Avoid blaming others, their reactions, or circumstances that are out of your control. There certainly may be people or circumstances that make it more challenging for you to experience joy and meaning. How YOU respond to those people or circumstances is the defining factor, however. So simply take this as an opportunity to consider where your reactions may be stealing from your joy and meaning.
Give Yourself Permission to Find Meaning and Joy
Quite often the moments that can provide meaning or joy are not “BIG” or obvious. We tell ourselves that meaning or joy should come from only certain types of actions or interactions. We deny ourselves the meaning and joy that we might find in fleeting moments. These may be nearly invisible and may quickly passing:
· A patient who makes direct eye contact instead of looking through you
· A subtle nod or smile from a colleague
· The quiet personal satisfaction of completing all your notes before the end of the day
What I often do is keep a Meaning Moments Log in my phone notes app. There I may write something like, “I was able to give patient X some peace of mind.” Or, I connected with my MA and was able to give her some feedback.” Or “The patient I saw last week improved with the course of treatment I gave her.” I suggest starting small- just one line per day. You don’t want this to become “something more I have to do.” Over time, it may become a habit you enjoy, is sustainable, and feeds your soul.
Intentionally Inviting Joy
In addition to the above, I try to be very intentional bout inviting meaning and joy into what I do. This means that I specifically look to create moments of meaning and joy throughout the day. I do this in various ways:
· Go through list of patients and pick one or two whom I think I can provide some additional inspiration or education that will support them
· Invite my team to start the day by sharing what they are grateful for, how they want to our day to be, and how they want to be at the end of the day/shift
· Text a colleague at the end of day/shift to share a “win” in my day and ask them to do the same
· Take a moment in my car at the end of a particularly challenging day to think about all the blessings in my life and how my career has been a blessing
None of these require much time, but they do require intentionality. It can be surprising how inviting others to share in meaning and joy can elevate your own and improve everyone’s experience.
Reframing the Administrative Tasks
It can be easy for our individual “why”, our purpose for being a physician and doing what we do every day, to get lost in the daily administrative demands. When my why begins to drown in the sea of admin tasks, I try to pause to silently align the deeper purpose of those tasks to my team’s purpose and my personal why. For example, I may consider:
· How does this task support patient safety?
· How does his task support my team?
· How does this task support transparency and clarity?
· How does this task support the possibility of learning/growth?
It’s not always clear how a particular task aligns with my personal why, but at the very least I can usually find a meaningful reason around why the task needs to be performed. And, if it really does not make sense, then it becomes something that I have learned truly hampers my efficiency and/or the efficiency of my team and am more empowered to address it with my manager or supervisor.
Establishing Boundaries
As physicians, most of us like to be helpful. This means that frequently when asked if we would like to join a committee, take on an extra project, or add on a patient to our schedule, our first instinct is to say, “Yes.” However, over the course of my career, and life in general, I have learned that every “Yes” means that I have to say “No” to something else. Time is the rarest and most valuable commodity. Thus, it is crucial that we are intentional with how we spend our time. Studies have shown that to maintain joy in the practice of medicine, 20% of our time needs to be dedicated to doing those things that we enjoy most. Therefore, don’t jump to say “yes” to everything. Give yourself the permission to pause and say, “Thanks for this opportunity. Let me think about it and I will get back to you in X.” This way you can consider how the opportunity aligns with your deeper why. If the opportunity supports your deeper why and is a way for you to live out your core values, then you may want to say “yes”. You may also want to consider what you might have to give up or could give up to add the new responsibility. If the opportunity does not align with your deeper why, then you can honestly say, “Thanks so much for thinking of me for this. I think it’s a great opportunity, but it’s not for me. I want to leave this open for the person with whom it best aligns.” In this way you will be leaving space for someone else who would find meaning and joy in that commitment.
This may feel a little “clumsy” or awkward at first, but the more you practice this the easier it will become. And the joy that you garnish from doing those things that truly are meaningful to you will be worth it. Eventually the meaning and joy that you bring to those things you do say “yes” to, will be palpable and appreciated by all.
Call to Action
This week I invite you, as I invite myself, to keep a Meaningful Moments Log. At the end of each shift/day write down one specific instant (no matter how small) that brought you a sense of purpose, gratitude, or hint of joy. At week’s end, revisit your list. Notice what is present, what isn’t, and what you would like to invite more of or protect more often.
Remember that in a world that often hurries past connection, warmth, meaning, you are still at choice. YOU can choose to focus on and honor what matters most to you.
Meaning and joy are not only for the “easy” times. They can be found, invited, and created at any time. We just need to be intentional about protecting them fiercely, not allowing them to be stolen from us.
If you’d like a structured place to capture your sparks of meaning and build small sustainable habits, I’ve created a downloadable worksheet log and checklist. These are tools that I have used myself. You can find the worksheet here: