Ten positive steps to maintaining wellbeing

Before we start - Value yourself and what you bring to your colleagues and patients. Everything else stems from this. You are a highly trained and dedicated health professional and a human being - don’t forget either. Value yourself and don’t feel you have to put up with bad things, wherever they come from.

Take brief moments between tasks to breathe, soften your shoulders, unclench your jaw, or stretch.

Even 10–30 seconds can calm your nervous system and help you arrive more fully to the next interaction.

Evidence from the Work Wellbeing Playbook (Oxford University) shows these micro-interventions improve wellbeing when supported systemically.

Take full restorative breaks without guilt.

Caring requires emotional fuel; breaks replenish cognitive capacity, support patient safety, and are recognised in GMC guidance as an ethical component of professional practice. 

Integrate small bursts of physical movement: walk between wards, stand and stretch every hour, or take a two-minute outdoor reset.

These micro-movements regulate mood, boost clarity, and counter stress.

Practice saying 'no' when needed to protect your energy.

Support this by setting short digital boundaries, silencing notifications during lunch or a break.

Employers can (and should) help employees by supporting protected time for non-clinical activities.

Boundaries help sustain compassion and prevent emotional overload. 

Even a three-minute chat with a trusted colleague can reset your day.

Friendships at work significantly improve engagement, resilience, morale, and job satisfaction.

Peer check-ins, coffee chats, and supportive small interactions build belonging.

Some research has shown that employees with a best friend at work are seven times more likely to be engaged, leading to higher productivity and fewer safety incidents.

Join reflective practice groups, Balint groups, or cross-department wellbeing circles.

These spaces help us process emotionally demanding work, reduce isolation, and strengthen empathy.

Protected time for these activities, and meaningful QI projects, boost morale and reduce burnout.

Set aside 10 minutes a day to explore something that sparks your interest: a podcast, reading, a clinical curiosity, or a creative hobby.

Curiosity helps maintain perspective, renew energy, and protect against stagnation.

Create a simple daily routine that blends work, rest, movement, reflection, and connection.

Organisations can support this by offering wellbeing events, cross-department activities, or shared resources.

Aligning routine with values increases predictability, calmness, and satisfaction.

End the day by noting one thing that went well, an achievement, a warm conversation, a moment of kindness.

A 30-second reflective transition before leaving work supports emotional regulation and protects against rumination.

Reconnect with what originally brought you to this work: purpose, meaning, values.

In difficult moments, this anchor supports resilience and reminds you that wellbeing is not a 'nice-to-have', it is a strategic asset underpinning productivity, compassion, retention, and safe care.

Checking in with your ABCs (autonomy, belonging, competence) can help you stay aligned and grounded.