The Power of Tiny Joys in a Long Clinical Day

A typical clinical day for many full-time physicians is a schedule full of patients for eight to ten hours. Or you are scheduled to be in the hospital for the same amount of time. There are days which are more routine, and there are days which are more challenging. Many physicians I coached were exhausted and frustrated – some were to the point of quitting their jobs. I was once there. Joy was a luxurious concept that was so far reaching that I believed it was not something I deserved to experience. Joy seemed to be unachievable – that further reinforced the belief that joy was just an imaginative state.

No matter how real it feels – that it is impossible to experience more joy as a physician – question it. Believe that it is possible to sprinkle some joyful moments in your day. Yes, it is impossible to have every single minute to be joyful, and that is okay. Allow yourself to experience the whole spectrum of emotions. Even though in the hardest days, in the toughest situations, it is possible to find some moments of joy. 

Be intentional about experiencing joy in your day. Believe that it is possible to have more joy. Believe that you are worthy to have more joy in life. Start your day with gratitude. What are you grateful for? To be alive? To wake up without the alarm clock? I associate gratitude with abundance rather than scarcity. Gratitude is a great starting point for more joy in the day. Continue with that during your commute. Maybe it is the blue sky, or the traffic lights are in sync. Or your favorite song popped up on the radio. Allow yourself to appreciate life’s simple things.

When you are at work, remind yourself what brings you joy. I enjoy connecting with my patients at a deeper level. I enjoy celebrating with them when they are responding to a treatment. I do not enjoy having to do patient documentation and that is okay – I still do them efficiently, and finishing on time brings me joy too. Be grateful for others. There are many things we can choose to be grateful for, and why not? Gratitude brings more joy. Sometimes I am grateful for patients who “allow” me to share good news with them. I am grateful for their patience while waiting for me for 40 minutes. I am grateful for the staff members who are helpful and pleasant to work with.

To have a more joyful workplace, you get to create it. Set the tone for your staff to follow. Even a simple smile brings you more joy. When you are being authentic, and wholeheartedly serving your patients, you experience more joy. People around you, including the patients, are “infected” with your joy. Joy is contagious – let us spread more of it.

Plan to have joyful moments on your schedule. For example, schedule something you enjoy doing in your day – a yoga lesson, reading time with your children or a date night with your spouse. When you schedule these things, you are setting a goal for yourself. Those events are things to look forward to.

Celebrate! Celebrate with your patients. Remind them what good things are going for them. Celebrate with your staff. Share with them what they are doing well. Acknowledge their birthdays. You get to find an excuse to celebrate, anything big and small.

Although you will experience unpleasant emotions, you do not have to dwell in them. Acknowledge their existence and understand why you are feeling them. Is there something you can do about them? You do not have to do this alone. When you feel stuck, ask for help. If you cannot see the light, ask someone else to show you. If you have difficulty in finding even a tiny speck of joy, let someone guide you. It is possible to infuse more joy in your life.