Emotional Resilience: Navigating the Inner Landscape of Caregiving
Emotional Resilience: Navigating the Inner Landscape of Caregiving
To care is to feel. And in healthcare, those feelings can run deep—grief, guilt, fear, helplessness, and sometimes, even shame. Over time, these emotions accumulate, quietly shaping our inner world. We carry stories of suffering, unresolved questions, and memories that linger long after the shift ends.
Resilience isn’t about ignoring pain—it’s about learning to process, understand, and move through it. It's about creating space to feel without being overwhelmed. Emotional intelligence—our ability to identify, understand, and manage emotions—is a critical skill for clinicians, yet one rarely taught.
Journaling helps transform chaotic thoughts into clarity. Reflective supervision and Balint groups offer a safe space to unpack challenging cases. Peer discussions, free of judgment, remind us we’re not alone in our struggles. Even quiet moments—pausing after a difficult conversation or stepping outside for fresh air—can provide relief.
Cultivating resilience means allowing yourself to be human in a system that often demands superhuman. It means giving yourself permission to not always be okay, and to seek help when needed. It means recognising that empathy doesn’t have to lead to emotional depletion—when paired with healthy boundaries, it becomes a source of strength.
Resilience is not a trait—it’s a practice. And in a field where emotional labour is constant, this practice can be our most vital form of self-care.
Author: Prof Abbas Tejani, Honorary Associate Professor of Primary Care