Self-Compassion as a Likely Antidote to Burnout

The time has come to reaffirm the humanity of doctors and acknowledge their value to society. Medical culture and the healthcare system both need to change – that’s the bottom line. Doctors must first acknowledge, and then heal, their pain and suffering with self-compassion. They have to do this for their own sake first and then for the sake of their patients and communities. Dr Ong’s mission is to arm doctors and other medical professionals with the tools they need to tap into the heart-centredness of medicine.

Self-compassion entails acknowledging that we are suffering, that we are all in it together and that we need to love and be kind to ourselves before we can really do the same for others. For the first time in her life, Dr Ong found a place of peace and power within herself through self-compassion. She believes that creating a ripple effect from self-compassion is the best way forward for us as a collective. Essentially, self-compassion is the antidote to burnout.