Thread by @andrewjtagg

I was asked to give the wellbeing talk for the new doctors starting @western_health

I decided not to talk about how we need to drink kale smoothies, do yoga classes before work, and get 8 hours of sleep a night...

1/x

You see, there is a tendency, to speak in platitudes when doing this sort of thing - bolstering people up with a "You can do it... if only you do X"

2/x

But it's not all about me, me, me, is it? It's not about what I can do to keep myself healthy?

It's about what we can do for each other?

3/x

I've been thinking a lot lately, about infectivity, and I want to know...

What is the r0 for kindness?

How many people do you need to infect for it to be passed on?

4/x

Because if I give a talk on wellbeing and one person looks after themselves then we are done, kindness is not transmitted, does not spread.

5/x

So how can we be kinder, every day?

We can use names, names of security guards and cleaners and PSAs and ambos who all do an amazing job.

6/x

We need to smile, really smile, despite the mask.

7/x

And, perhaps most importantly, if we want to really transmit kindness, we need to look out for one another.

8/x

Incivility costs lives, we know that.

But before we cast aspersions, let's stop.

9/x

Is the in-patient registrar pissed off, not because of your referral, but because they are Hungry and have not had anything to eat since their Up 'n' Go at 6am?

10/x

Are they Angry because they are arguing with their partner about the risks they are putting their families through?

11/x

Are they Lonely - finishing a long day at work, going home to an empty flat with family on the other side of the world?

12/x

Are they Tired because their colleagues have been furloughed and they have been asked to take on extra duties at short notice?

13/x

Are they Stressed because they have absolutely no idea when that exam they have been studying for for such a long time is ever going to happen?

14/x

Yes, we all have bad days. Nobody is perfect. If we can all show our colleagues just a little kindness we will all be much better off.

15/x

So, here it is...

My 10 minutes on how it is not all about 'Me, Me, Me' but 'Us, Us, Us'

~end