
Over the past month or so I have been thinking a lot about finding joy in my work. When I meet with members across the country, many ask me how I am enjoying my term as CFPC President. That recurring question has made me think: what is it in my day-to-day work that makes me smile and brings me joy?
The current context of family medicine remains tough. The crisis in family medicine1 continues, with a 2022 Commonwealth Fund survey having reported alarming results: 3 out of 4 primary care physician respondents in Canada said health care quality has gotten worse since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,2 more than half expressed dissatisfaction with the amount of time they spend on administrative work,2 and close to half said they feel burned out.3 Compared with before the pandemic, 3 out of 4 reported their workloads have increased,2 while 4 out of 5 said their earnings have either stagnated or decreased.3 It’s no wonder we struggle to even think about joy in work—yet it is important to do so.
Evidence shows that finding joy in work enhances our well-being and the health of our patients. A 2017 white paper from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) notes that joy in work “not only impacts individual staff engagement and satisfaction, but also patient experience, quality of care, patient safety, and organizational performance.”4 It is also important for our learners. Recently I had a medical student tell me that they were thinking of going into family medicine, but after a rotation in a community practice they were worried about the stress and frustration they had seen in their preceptor. Sadly, I think this is a common experience, and it’s another reason why taking time to focus on what brings us joy in our work is as important as the work we do to provide patient care and to advocate for a better health care system.
So, how can we find joy in work? Recently, a member contacted the CFPC to thank us for the message of support that Dr Lawrence C. Loh and I had sent to members acknowledging World Family Doctor Day and the difficulties family physicians are facing in Canada. In his email, the member said he was no longer feeling frustrated and tired because he had adjusted his work hours and restored balance in his life. Regaining control of one’s work hours is one way to restore joy; however, it may not be possible for everyone.
What else can we do to find and nurture joy in work? In addition to its white paper,4 the IHI has published a guideline for promoting mental health and well-being in the health care workforce.5 Both are great resources that I recommend reading. The IHI white paper includes a 4-step approach “to restore, foster, and nurture joy” in the health care workforce.4 Presented as a set of stairs, each step serves as the foundation for the next. It is directed at leaders, but I found the framework helpful personally, too. The first step involves asking: what matters to you?
In asking myself this question, I was able to identify what makes me smile through all the hard work, what brings me joy, and what I can engage in to nurture joy in my workplace. For me, it is the people around me and my relationships: I feel joy when I connect with patients, colleagues, and learners. Now, when I have a tough day at work, I try to focus on the people around me and not the endless tasks at hand.
The CFPC’s work to address the crisis in family medicine continues. For our well-being, for the health of our patients, and for the hope of learners, I encourage you to take time to think about what matters to you and then to devote some energy to it to restore joy to your work.
Footnotes
Cet article se trouve aussi en français à la page 584.
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