8MM+ watched Meditation won’t fix Burnout, its about Moral Injury

BL00 - Burn Out (1)
By Mo Edjlali, Mindful Leader's President and Chief Community Organizer
 
From Dr. Zubin Damania's Viral Video:
 

Burnout is a kind of victim shaming…
Maybe you should meditate… it’s all bulls@#t…
We’re not suffering from burnout…
We’re surfing from “Moral injury”…

When I watched this video it left me excited and defensive.  Wait a minute… our organization encourages meditation into the workplace.   We talk about resilience, promote wellness, and try to help people and organizations with burnout… what does this mean?  Feels like he is trashing the work we promote while making some good points.  

Over 8 Million people watched this video, it’s going viral.  What Dr. Z is saying here I think relates to more than just health care profession and we all need to tune in.  

 

What is Moral Injury? Below is a good short description. 
 

“The mechanism of Moral Injury is the transgression of deeply held beliefs or expectations perpetrated by an authority. Because humans depend for survival on membership, in and validation by family and tribe, the cognitive dissonance between reality and the perception of what should be, can be extremely deleterious. “ Source: https://participatorymedicine.org/2016/healing-moral-injury-in-health-care/

 
Does this apply to more than veterans and healthcare professionals?  How do we react?  On this topic, I think there is much more to come. 

8 comments

Pam Marcheski
 

Love this video and it does go well beyond health care.  It transcends into all business and organizations that continue to focus on the bottom line without the taking into consideration of the actions being put into place that impact those that have to implement or align with those actions.  Continuously asking more from those on the front lines and putting into place small rewards, wellness programs that no one can use because they are working with less, and promises that it's their people come first yet have a model that does not emulate those promises is a major gap that senior leaders need to take responsibility for and change.  

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Donna Joy
 

Well said....if we can't change the work situation,  we need as a group to recognize it. Instead of bullying, projecting frustrations on others, it needs to start with self care... acquire tools to be less reactive. That doesn't mean to minimize, but to not become entrenched and resentful. Moral injury is s narrative that offers hope and healing...burnout has a sense of despair, finality.....we just watch and predict who will be the next "broken" person...it is a sad culture... speaking up often labels as hostile employee. While your team agrees behind, but gossips in your absence.... At my age I chose not to play into that mentality. My hope is that this narrative causes us to consider one another... take that energy and find the gratitude...encourage and esteem in truth. Show appreciation. "Be kinder than necessary as everyone is fighting some kind of battle." Read again the "4 Agreements"...and refresh your serenity prayer mantra...leave work at work... and be brave to plan your exit strategy. Let people have their stuff. Have healthy boundaries. Breathe! Pray for your enemy which may be the situation.....Bless them that curse you and keep it moving...you can't reason with someone who is unreasonable... donnajoy0224@gmail.com

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Wendy Quan
 

Mo, I had the same initial reaction as you, as I watched the first part of this video. This isn't about whether meditation works or not to help people through tough times (I always maintain that it can help most people, but not everyone).  This is a unique message that shines a light on what happens to a 'good person in a bad system, when they feel they can't change the system'. I also think that when we make decisions on what to do with our lives, if we understand our values, we need to find opportunities that match our values.  Thanks for sharing this out, I will share too.

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Dr. Felicia Wilson Young
 

This is right on target! This is reflective of what happens at our agency and what I have personally experienced. Moral Injury is a direct affront to the human condition and the vulnerability we may experience in the day-to-day implementation of our work.

Let's change the system that causes the injury and not continue to perpetuate the conflict.

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Donna Joy
 

Yes, great insights...also, we use the term "caregiver burnout. .. that exemplifies..we don't thrive in isolation, and long term, dries up the bones...hope deferred makes a heart sick..."biblical proverb"

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Lee Hurwit
 

I appreciate what this guy is saying in principle, but I do not think that he is right absolutely. But I don't like that he speaks as if he is absolutely right. Yet also, I found him to be aggressive in his presentation and even rude. I get the feeling that he is angry. I'm left with the impression that he is not in control of his emotions. Frankly, I'm shocked at his lack of skill in communicating. For me he doesn't exhibit an understanding of "Mindfulness", and his presentation was difficult for me to endure. I stopped watching half way through or so. 

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Brooke Sena
 

@Lee Hurwit Hello, I’m wondering if you are a healthcare provider. Just curious.


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Jason Harris
 

I understand where he is coming from and the points being made. Systems are not easy to change even if changing a system means better health and wellbeing for all involved. I usually explain these contributing systemic factors to chronic stress, burnout or "moral injury" as described by the presenter to begin any presentation related to mindfulness in the workplace and specifically when speaking to healthcare providers. With that acknowledgment, I explain mindfulness as tool for mitigating the impact of stress now, while working toward change, which is also stressful. I have also seen that the more a culture within a organization shifts toward becoming more mindful and the leaders also become involved in practices or teachings, the more likely the changes that are needed, begin to be made. 

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