Am at a Thriving in Medicine conference/wellness retreat this week.
It’s in Kaiteriteri, a gorgeous spot near the top of the South Island, with weather that is infinitely superior to Wellingtons. It’s been hot and sunny every day.
There have been lots of useful things brought up that I haven’t really considered before that I think are going to be useful for the future. Here is the continuum from burnout to thriving/flourishing.
One thing that shocked me was the ‘20% rule’. Apparently if less than 20% of the work that you do is the good stuff that you like and ‘fills your cup’, then that’s a good predictor of burnout. I was horrified. Imagine doing a job that you only like 20% of? Surely that’s a sign that you should be doing something else? And this after spending decades slogging away at exams and working brutally long hours while your contemporaries are out there living a life and having a good time. Hideous. Or am I just really lucky and/or privileged?
We’ve also been doing quite a bit of yoga. It’s a different type to what I normally do. It’s less demanding, with less critiquing of people’s performance, but on the other hand, there’s a lot more ‘woo’ to it. Tibetan singing bowls, chanting in Sanscrit, poetry, etc. I’m conflicted. It’s very cherishing but I can’t block out my inner cynic.
The bush walks and sea swims are great, though. And: I’m not at work! (Yes, I love it, but you need balance, don’t you?) So it’s a big thumbs up from me.