Foundations for Growth: What does it take to build a Resilient (#BurnoutProof) You?

As-salamu alaykum,

Healthcare Work is not for the Fainthearted

Let’s face it - healthcare work is not easy. The training years are long, the work days are convoluted and the patient journey rarely follows the textbook trajectory even when the outcomes are good.

This complex web sets us up to frequently encounter high-stress situations more often than not relative to the experience of many of our friends in other industries.

Without the right foundations, chronic stress builds up and snowballs into burnout even in our early careers and in some cases as early as the training years. 

Essential Foundations

Staying resilient throughout your journey of healthcare education and health care work is non-negotiable for you to be able to stay the course; to have an impactful career; and to have a rich and meaningful life.

There are many players hanging in the balance - Your Family. Your Patients. Your colleagues. All of these folks and more are counting on you to be resilient.

The University of Minnesota College of Continuing & Professional Studies discussed “10 Must-Have Characteristics for Health Care Professionals” here. Similar to other healthcare organizations and training programs addressing this subject, “Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle” was specifically called out. 

The writer remarked that “When you take good care of yourself through sufficient sleep, healthy eating, stress management, and physical activity, you also set a great example for your patients.” I will add here that these are essential foundations upon which to build your resilience (#burnoutproof) strategy.

The Prophet Muhammad PBUH in a hadith highlighted this; 

“Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: A strong believer is better and is more lovable to Allah than a weak believer, and there is good in everyone, (but) cherish that which gives you benefit (in the Hereafter) and seek help from Allah and do not lose heart, and if anything (in the form of trouble) comes to you, don't say: If I had not done that, it would not have happened so and so, but say: Allah did that what He had ordained to do and your" if" opens the (gate) for the Satan.” [Sahih Muslim 2664]

A “stronger” you - physically, mentally, socially, emotionally and spiritually - is incredibly valuable to you, to your role as a healthcare worker and to all those who benefit from your commitment to serve - family, colleagues, patients etc. 

The value also transcends the limited scope of our short lives and impacts our potential for success for eternity in the hereafter. (May Allah, the Most High, count us all among the truly successful ones. Amin) 

An Opportune Time to Lay Your Foundation 

The Month of Al-Muharram (the Sacred) is upon us. It signifies the turn of the Hijri calendar year. 

Prophet Muhammad PBUH denoted it as “the month of Allah” in a famous hadith. It is also one of the 4 sacred months of the Hijri calendar wherein our deeds - good or bad - carry a more serious import.

Why not then take advantage of this exceptional month to lay the foundations for your growth this coming Hijri year, 1446A.H.?

I invite you to join me next week as we tackle one of these essential foundations together - sleep - in the upcoming SakeenahMD webinar: The Healthcare Pro’s Sleep Essentials In sha Allah;

Date: Thursday, 5th Muharram 1446 AH (July 11, 2024)

Time: 7.00 pm CST (Add to your calendar here)

Duration: 45 mins + Q&A

Register here

May Allah, the Most High, grant us all a year of Growth, Resilience and Impact (grounded in our Deen) that will benefit us (and others) in this life and the hereafter. Amin 

Sincerely,

Sulyman

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