By Elizabeth Brewer, MEd The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on our lives in many ways. Changes to school, work and health care have increased the stress in our lives and amplified many challenges that existed before this crisis began. One of the long-term challenges in health care has been health care worker burnout, which many have labeled an epidemic of its own. Burnout comes from our impaired ability to experience positive emotions. To help, nephrologist Emily Petersen, M.D., chair of the Kootenai Health Provider Well-Being Committee, has been working on addressing burnout with Kootenai’s medical staff for several years. “We wanted to accelerate our work on well-being programs for our medical staff and employees,” said Dr. Petersen. “This included the introduction of a tool called ‘3 Good Things,’ pioneered for health care by J. Bryan Sexton, Ph.D., at Duke University.” Changeyour focus Our brains are hardwired to focus on the negative. Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D., a noted researcher and psychologist, said, “The negative screams at us, but the positive only whispers.” To reduce burnout, we need to turn up the volume on the positive. That’s where “3 Good Things” comes in. It’s a simple tool to help people recognize the positive things that happen each day. When we practice looking for the positives, those moments start to balance out the negatives, which we tend to focus on more. It’s easy to get started. At the end of the day, just before bed, ask yourself, “What are three good things that went well today, and what was my role in making them happen?” For the best results, write these things down or save them in one of the many “3 Good Things” apps available for your smartphone. Repeat this practice for 15 days to make the effects last longer. At the end of 15 days, the effects can last for up to a year! When feeling an extreme level of stress and burnout, it can be difficult to know where to start making changes. The “3 Good Things” practice is a bite-sized intervention. It doesn’t take a lot of time or cause a big disruption in your life when you are already struggling. It takes just one or two minutes a day for about two weeks. It isn’t a lot of time, but the effects are huge! As this tool has been shared more widely at Kootenai Health, many who have tried it noticed an improvement in their well-being. Why not try it yourself? for Positive Thinking Quick and easy Find resources for “3 Good Things” by typing it into your web browser or smartphone app store. Emily Petersen, M.D., Kootenai Clinic Nephrology Elizabeth Brewer, MEd, director of research and care transformation 3 GOOD Things 8
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