“I’ve got PTSD and I’m thriving!”
Judging by the broad smile on her face, I knew she wasn’t joking.
I had just delivered a keynote on practitioner well-being to an audience of 1000 passionate and dedicated front-line health care workers, many of whom are subjected to extremely high levels of stress and exposed to multiple levels of trauma every day at work.
Let’s take a look.
Long shifts, inadequate breaks for a loo stop or meal. The work is hard, the hours long and the pay, well, let’s just say they’re not doing it for the money, while the volunteers are doing it because they want to contribute to their communities.
The statistics on mental health challenges and burnout in these individuals indicate they endure a disproportionately high amount of pain and suffering compared to the rest of the population, but they are also super resilient.
They have worked out how to stay buoyant.
They find joy in their work, experience a deep sense of purpose and are rewarded by knowing they make a difference. Saving lives, providing care, kindness and empathy.
Is there any more noble calling?
Her comment made me reflect on how we view the issues of burnout, PTSD, anxiety, depression or psychosis, particularly in light of the fact that half of us will experience at least one episode of mental illness in our lifetime.
And for those that do, we are also at increased risk of recurrence.
These modern maladies are derived from the high levels of chronic stress we are subjected to. Over time this triggers greater generalised inflammation in the body, contributing ultimately to the development of physical disease and mental illness.
These outcomes then, whether PTSD, anxiety, depression, heart disease or cancer, are essentially lag indicators of an unsafe work environment.
To use the adage; we don’t need stronger canaries, we need safer coal mines to work in.
Making work more worthwhile.
The wicked problem to be resolved is to how best resolve poor job design and management.
Because,
It simply isn’t good enough to tell a Junior Doctor their request for leave (that they are entitled to) is being denied (again) because of staff shortages and lack of cover.
It’s immoral to place a health care worker in a position where they are being asked to deliver less than optimal care for a patient because of insufficient resources.
It’s wrong to approach a nurse at the end of her shift and ask them to stay on and work another 8 hours, and then get narky with them if they say no because they are exhausted.
We can all step up to a challenge in the short term, but when exhaustion, overwhelm and intolerable demands are placed on us, our capacity to think clearly, to make good decisions and not make mistakes has now been exceeded and does us harm.
Pilots have strict protocols on how many hours they are allowed to fly for, and how many hours of down time are required between flights.
Why on earth does the health system allow unsafe work practices that put the health workers and their patients at greater risk?
Which is why adopting a wellness program at work is meaningless, unless there is a clear understanding of the pain points and what those who are affected believe would serve them the best.
The workplaces that get this right:
- Seek to pinpoint the biggest contributors to current workplace stress through asking, listening and taking action.
- Have a high level of curiosity to look at what would make the work, work better.
- Are willing to explore and adopt a flexible approach to tweak and introduce minor manageable changes.
- Have a process in place to review and measure the impact of these changes.
- Understand that workplace wellbeing is always a work in progress and not all initiatives will be successful.
Well-being is a continuum.
Well-being is not merely the absence of disease.
It is a state of being that is reflected in how you feel and how well you are functioning.
Which is why a person with depression might be on medication and be seeing a psychologist but still enjoy a high level of well-being and function normally.
The person with PTSD shared she was diagnosed 10 years ago. She has learned to live with the condition which today does not impact her ability to hold down her stressful and demanding job.
We are not defined by the medical conditions or disease we live with.
Your well-being is elevated through your choice of conscious intentional activities that nudge your level of happiness upwards.
Activities such as,
- Getting outside to spend time in a green or blue space.
- Enjoying time with family and friends for shared meals, or time to chill and be still.
- Doing some form of physical activity you enjoy – it doesn’t have to be what you think of as exercise.
- Getting enough restorative sleep.
- Engaging with a hobby – building with Lego, or playing guitar.
- Making healthier food choices – more vegetables and plants, and less fast foods
The elusive unicorn of balance doesn’t have to feel impossible or unachievable.
What #onesmallthing can you do for yourself this week that will give you pleasure, reduce your stress towards the tolerable zone, and keep you feeling happy and fulfilled in your work and life?
