The art of not appearing in a hurry as a clinician, when you are

Human beings are very perceptive animals, and we have an inbuilt ability to sense the mindset of somebody else. One of the worst things a physician can come across as, to their patients, is looking flustered or in a hurry. Patients will pick up on that in literally 3 seconds. The reality of frontline medicine is that doctors are always very busy with a hundred and one things to do. In the hospital, we are constantly being pulled in multiple directions, everyone wants a piece of our time, and unexpected situations occur all the time. How then, do frontline physicians strive to maintain their composure and always appear as calm as possible? After all, no patient in the world wants their doctor to appear off-center or like their mind is somewhere else. Yet it happens all the time (we are all human, and many clinicians are blissfully unaware of how they appear on a daily basis). As someone who has taught healthcare communication skills, and a keen proponent of stoicism, I’d like to focus on the following 3 pieces of advice, which could actually apply to any frontline professional:

If we expect an orderly day with no surprises, and suddenly everything goes haywire, we will naturally be thrown off. At the beginning of each day, take a few deep breaths (even meditate) and expect the chaos that will ensue as soon as you enter the doors of the hospital. Visualize all those requests that will come your way and how it may start to feel overwhelming at various time points during the day. It’s okay! You are going to be perfectly composed throughout and the model of calmness. What’s the worst that will happen? You are doing an important job and being paid relatively well for it. If you finish work a bit late, it’s okay.

It’s been estimated that up to 90 percent of all our communication is non-verbal. You are subtly giving off cues all the time about your internal mindset. Are you talking too fast, making rapid gestures, or walking in a hurried or excited way? These are all things that are in our control, and even if we don’t feel completely calm inside, we can still totally strive to appear that way to others.

Being a physician doesn’t only involve communication with patients. The staff around you are just as important, and too many frontline clinicians become very visibly abrupt and stressed in front of them, frequently snapping and showing emotions. Doctors may not always realize it, but we are leaders of the healthcare team. What comes from the top, quickly filters down the chain. Want a calm and soothing work environment? Start with yourself.

These are 3 fundamental tips for any clinician. Of course it’s very hard when one is actually in the cauldron of the chaos, that is everyday work in any busy hospital or clinic. We can only do our best to stay calm and centered. But if nothing else, do it for your patients and staff. They have their own problems, which they are relying on us to help fix.

Thomas Jefferson, Founding Father and third President, once said: “Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances”. He was very right, and it’s the best mindset for solving problems as well.