Team Psychology versus Team Medicine, score 1:0

Currently, I am involved in running a mindfulness & stress reduction workshop in the world of medicine. Around that a few interesting dialogues ensued regarding the way we think, teach and learn, and I have gained a few insights that I'd like to share. Oh, also the soccer world cup is on, so...

Medicine, much like psychology over the better part of last century, was very much enamoured with looking for flaws, looking for symptoms, stuff that wasn't working right and then fixing it. In doing so, the goal was to get a person back to normal functioning (however that may be defined). So, if normal were a horizontal line, psychology and medicine are largely concerned with what lies below that line. These specialities deal with disease or shall I say dis-ease.

Over the last 20+ years a bunch a psychologists started looking at what happens above the line, in other words what makes people thrive, excel, and rise above the norm. They decided that what makes human experience extraordinary or über-normal is just as important to understand, research, teach and support. Hence, positive psychology was born. A science concerned with what enables people to be at-ease, to flourish and be in the flow. Interestingly when your focus starts to shift from what is broken to what is working, from your shortcomings to your strengths, then strange things start to happen. Things begin to shift. Your spectrum of options starts to open up, you start seeing solutions where before there where only problems. You become more creative and flexible. Becoming aware of, and deliberately seeking out positive emotions breeds more positivity. Think going to see a funny movie as opposed to a drama, doing things that make you laugh, smile, be merry. Looking for the good moments throughout your day and relishing those. Deliberately putting yourself in the path of fun is actually a very worthwhile thing to do for your health. The cultivation of positive emotions not only breeds more positive emotions but also buffers against the negative ones (yes including stress, physiological stress response and subsequently disease). Now if this all sounds too simplistic, or simply too good to be true, rest assured that this is scientifically proven. There is evidence for this, even using physiological measures of stress (check out Barbara Fredrickson's work and her Broaden & Build Theory).

Sadly, Western medicine is a bit slow to catch on. So yes, 1:0 for Psychology! Luckily, however, there are services popping up in health care that take a more holistic view of providing care. It no longer is only about fixing things, but also about ensuring optimal wellbeing on top of the fixing of dis-ease. The focus is on enabling people to be as much at-ease as possible whatever their story. And of course, that makes sense. If something is malfunctioning it needs fixing. In addition though why would you not do your utmost to ensure that all other systems are in place to optimise overall well-being, sleep, nutrition, exercise, a mind at ease, emotional & social support, spiritual wellbeing and self-care & compassion.

And here lies the thought I really want to drive home. Why wait until you have dis-ease to start using these powerful tools? We all could use a bit more self-care, self-compassion and cultivation of the positive in our lives. So, I invite you to take a pen & paper and spend the next five minutes writing down what those tools are that help you thrive? And how and when you intend to use them?

Working in the trenches - Mindset & Resilience

A little while ago, I was talking to a fellow doctor. One of those who describes herself as an elder, or should I say a seasoned individual with a track record of having been in the trenches and seen the better part of the human (mis-)behavioural spectrum. We both agreed that our experiences can and should be used towards helping younger colleagues navigate some of the joys and pitfalls of working life, particularly in the medical profession. And along those lines, we asked ourselves how resilience can be built amongst health care professionals, and in extension amongst people in general.

Resilience is commonly defined as the ability to bounce back in the face of setbacks, failures, disappointments and mistakes. And, I believe one of the biggest barriers to resilience - particularly amongst doctors - is the prevailing 'fixed mindset' (as described by Carol Dweck). This describes a mindset that is very outcome orientated, an all or nothing, black or white view of the world. This mindset is very common, I daresay especially in people who tend towards being perfectionistic, and in my experience there are a fair few of those working in hospitals and practices, near and far. But really, I think this applies to anyone who has a perfectionistic streak. And, these individuals typically fear not getting it right, and making mistakes more than anything. Being anything less than perfect is perceived as catastrophic for them and for the people this may affect. They would have let themselves and everybody else down. How do I know this? Well, take a wild guess;)

The problem is that we all know we are not perfect, nor free from making mistakes. On an intellectual level we understand this, yet, when it happens it feels terrible. Even to the point where it might discourage us from ever trying that particular thing again or moving beyond our comfort zone and trying something we might be less then perfect at. And with that our lives shrink, become smaller and smaller, and definitely less adventurous. Which is a shame. Really.

On the other hand, there are people with a growth mindset (check out Carol Dweck - it's good stuff) who learn by making mistakes. And yes, there are a few of these people working in medicine, too. They go out and experiment, they go take a leap, knowing that there is a possibility for a rocky landing. Picture that! And when and if they land in a heap on the floor, they not only pick themselves back up, but they bounce back. They try again, they try better, and yes, occasionally they fail better. And of course eventually they succeed, and in doing so they grow, they become better than they were before. And I think that is a wonderful headspace to be in.

So how do we as the elders, the youngsters and everyone in-between, create such a health care culture where minds are open, where resilience and support are strong? The good news is everyone can learn to grow a growth mindset, and by doing this, improve their resilience. You can start small, and test the waters. And, you can set up 'safe to fail experiments', in other words small challenges where a crash landing is not life threatening. But you just might find it to be life altering, in a good way. You can orchestrate your environment such that you are supported by people who have done this before and who can cheer you on along the way, and help pick up the pieces when it doesn't go to plan. And this is where elders, experienced colleagues, supportive friends, family, and professionals can be of great help. People who can hold you accountable for challenging yourself with such experiments, and offer support and encouragement where needed. So, from my view as a friend, a family member and a professional, it is in everyone's interest, and it is our shared responsibility to co-create environments that are supportive of individuals who are willing to engage, experiment, contribute and not be blamed and shamed if they occasionally get it wrong. It is important to have each other's backs! And I reckon, the sense of feeling safe to fail and not be draconically sanctioned for any and every misstep will in itself promote more successful endeavours.