Adults are just big children (a different sort of thread on wellbeing)

As my children grow up and become more rebellious I often have to remind myself not to take the things they do personally but to look deeper, into the 'why' of their behaviours.

We need to do this more with grown-ups too.

Picking the Tagglings up from school and they are ratty and snappy. Are they HUNGRY?

Open mouth, insert emergency food, problem solved

In-patient registrar comes down to the department and is ratty and snappy. Are they HUNGRY?

Open mouth, insert emergency food, problem solved.

You do offer food/cups of tea to in-patient doctors, don't you? You do ask them if they have eaten when they come down after theatre?

Middle Taggling starts screaming and throwing her literal toys at me. She is clearly ANGRY - why?

I sit, listen and acknowledge the feelings, I don't rush to fix things.

(We fix the fringe later)

Doctor walks into resus and starts screaming and throwing a tantrum. They are clearly ANGRY - why? It's not always about you, but transference because someone has done an injustice.

I sit, listen and acknowledge the feelings, I don't rush to fix things.

Oldest Taggling is quiet and reserved, doesn't want to join in playing with her siblings, doesn't want to go to bed.

She is LONELY. COVID has been hard on everyone and she misses her friends. We set up a Zoom playdate

Team member is quiet and reserved, doesn't want to join in, and doesn't want to go home.

They might be LONELY. Would you want to go home to an empty flat and no opportunity to interact with another human?

Check in on them, Remind them that we all feel this.

Almost have to drag the Tagglings back home from school.

"What did you learn at school today?"
"I can't remember"

Clearly very TIRED. I remind them how much better it is to get a good night sleep and help them by holding their hand

Doctor has to be dragged to see a patient.

"What did you learn on shift today?"
"I can't remember"

Perhaps they are TIRED too. I remind them of the dangers of doomscrolling through FaceBook and encourage them to learn about better sleep.

Older Taggling crumples the picture of Amelia Earhart she has been concentrating on and throws it on the floor.

STRESSED, and not feeling her work is good enough.

It is, I remind her.
And she is will get through this blip

Registrar fumbles over exam answers despite having been studying hard.

You are good enough, I remind them.

I'm not saying we have to treat each other like children but we all have to remember that without dealing with some of our basic needs for security, we might not help fix the cause.

I'm running the wellbeing workshop at this years ACEM ASM with the energetic @DrJaneMunro. We'd love to see you there, and help you be a little kinder to yourself, and your teams.

https://www.acem2020.com/