Work stress, pressure and anxiety

Dr Iain Jamieson is a General Practitioner (GP) in the NHS in Scotland. He has a specialty in mental health and addiction medicine and is involved in training new GPs and, as an appraiser, helping to support more experienced ones. He writes about work stress, pressure and anxiety.

“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?” (Luke 9: 25).

What good indeed. I find myself reflecting on this passage often. One of the downsides about my job is the ever present risk of “getting it wrong” or “making a mistake”. Now these days that can mean jail time and instant dismissal never to practice again. These days it’s a risky time to be a doctor.

I’m not alone in this I suspect - pilots, train drivers, all those who manage uncertainty in an unpredictable world and who live under the shadow of “judgement in retrospect” (a much easier thing to do) are at the mercy of a society that must “blame” and “hold to account”.

So what can you do…

You can only be what you can be, the best you can be, with as good a heart as you can muster and trust God to do the rest. I think if I focus on the mission - to serve Christ as I best I can with all I have then I’m doing the right thing and what follows is in the plan, what follows is a gift even when it may not seem like it at the time.

This is a prayer for those who face judgment on every decision they make.

Deep breath in, deep breath out…

Jesus.

There is only you.

The universe flows through the cross.

There was before and there is after and there is that fixed point in the universe.

Help me to keep my focus on that, that cross, that tragedy and that triumph

You faced death and found it wanting

How can I be any less

With you beside me I can live life truly and freely

With you to guide me I can walk with confidence

There is no good to be found in the music of the whole world unless I sing in harmony with you.

Selah

Deep breath in, deep breath out…

Jesus 

There has always been you

And me

And the universe around us

We swim in time

But you, are timeless

You see all I have been

You see all I am

You see all I will be

And still you love me

And there are no words to say

To one who is at God’s right hand, with angels and powers in submission to him

But thank you

Thank you.

Dr Iain Jamieson

#work #pressure #professional #career #expectations #anxiety

Words of comfort

Luke 9: 23-25

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?

Philippians 4: 8

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

John 14: 27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Isaiah 58: 9-10

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;

you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,

with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry

and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in the darkness,

and your night will become like the noonday.

Isaiah 58: 11-12

The Lord will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail.

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins

and will raise up the age-old foundations;

you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,

Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

Prayers

Deep breath in, deep breath out…

Deep breath in, deep breath out…

Jesus.

There is only you.

The universe flows through the cross.

There was before and there is after and there is that fixed point in the universe.

Help me to keep my focus on that, that cross, that tragedy and that triumph

You faced death and found it wanting

How can I be any less

With you beside me I can live life truly and freely

With you to guide me I can walk with confidence

There is no good to be found in the music of the whole world unless I sing in harmony with you.

Selah

Deep breath in, deep breath out…

Timeless

Jesus

There has always been you

And me

And the universe around us

We swim in time

But you, are timeless

You see all I have been

You see all I am

You see all I will be

And still you love me

And there are no words to say

To one who is at God’s right hand, with angels and powers in submission to him

But thank you

Thank you.