Clinical and Experimental Gastroenterology (Nov 2020)
Mindfulness in Gastroenterology Training and Practice: A Personal Perspective
Abstract
Umakant Dave,1 Anjali Dave,2 Simon David Taylor-Robinson3 1Department of Gastroenterology, Morriston Hospital, Swansea, Wales SA6 6NL, UK; 2Department of Psychology, Birmingham University, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; 3Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, St Mary’s Hospital Campus, London W2 1NY, UKCorrespondence: Simon David Taylor-RobinsonDepartment of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, St Mary’s Hospital Campus, London W2 1NY, UKTel +44 203 312 6254Email [email protected]: Work-related stress is becoming an increasingly recognised occupational hazard that can have detrimental effects on the health of both patient and doctor. The practice of gastroenterology not only includes the demands of clinics and in-patient work faced by other medical specialities but also the additional burden of complex, and often high-risk, endoscopic interventions. Mindfulness, a secular form of meditation, can relieve stress, even if only practiced for a few minutes a day.Methods and Results: We present a personal perspective of the burnout experienced in stressful gastroenterology careers and the personal use of mindfulness in the daily routine to provide a source of calm when surrounded by many different pressures. We review some of the literature exploring the role of mindfulness in clinical practice with an emphasis on gastroenterology. While the practice of mindfulness is not designed to obviate immediacy and quick decisions in a rapidly changing clinical environment, it has been held widely useful to mitigate the stress involved in making those decisions.Conclusion: Practicing mindfulness, meditation and mindful living offers many advantages to gastroenterologists’ wellbeing as well improved patient care. We advocate its teaching to both gastroenterology trainees and consultants who are not familiar with the technique.Keywords: mindfulness, gastroenterology, stress, meditation, wellbeing
