Could the antidote to burnout be curiosity?

I had the privilege this week of presenting a wellness talk to the first year physician assistant students at Northwestern. I have given some version of this presentation to medical students, physicians in multiple specialties, various organizations and businesses, and members of federal and state judiciaries over the past decade or so. It would get so boring if I weren’t continuously learning about wellness–what it means and how to approach it–in all domains of life. The best talks are the most interactive because the learning is mutual, thus in-person, small audiences are my favorite.

This time, the talk was about 20% lecture, 80% query and exchange. What do these students already know, and why not start from there? I asked everybody to sit at the front and forewent the microphone. How many had prior jobs and lives before starting PA school? Who has already experienced burnout and what did/does it feel like? How do they already understand the intersections and mutual influences of sleep, exercise, nutrition, stress management, and relationships? How do they already manage stress well, what are their body signs? How do they structure and maintain their support networks? The students already know the answers to prevention and management of burnout. My job as presenter is to help them recognize this existing knowledge and insight, then fuel and fan their self-efficacy and -empowerment, with some key tips and guideposts along the way, by helping them be more self-curious. I already know how this talk could be better next time, and I may get a chance to present soon to some colleagues in pediatrics.

Last night I wrote about engaging with friends in mutual curiosity and possibility. I love that every day I get to do this with patients, too. J has decided he can retire in the coming year. What will he do after that? No idea, he says, but it has to be something that helps other people, we agree without question. He can move forward with both confidence and conviction, even in utter uncertainty. P has achieved her goal weight on Zepbound and we imagine the possibility of tapering off of the medication in another year or so. What will she need to do it with the least possible anxiety? What supports can we place in her environment to maximize her chances of maintaining healthy eating habits thereafter? How can establishing and strengthening a robust exercise program now help with that transition? B used to love getting ready for Thanksgiving–the planning, crafting, cooking, and gathering. She’s a maker at heart, though life has crowded that part of her into a back room over time. How can she carve out some time and space to honor her inner creative? What could that look like?

All of these conversations beckon patients and me to imagine. Starting with and anchoring to what and how we know and understand our values, priorities, and goals, we can cast ourselves into the unknown in joyful fantasy, led by openness and possibility, nonjudgment and creativity, unfettered by convention or ‘shoulds’. Who knows what great new reality the most outlandish idea could lead to, if we only allow the thought experiment for a moment?

Curiosity is the mindset that saves us, that leads us to the actions, behaviors, and connections that change systems.

“If you want to change the world start with yourself.” We are the system.

Curiosity underlies creativity and collaboration, connection and change.

Is there any problem that does not benefit from a curious mindset? How much better could everything be if we put curiosity ahead of expertise, assumptions, standards, protocols, algorithms, and conventions?
How exciting!

Okay so the book: Curious by Ian Leslie. Highly recommend.
Blurb:
“Everyone is born curious. But only some retain the habits of exploring, learning, and discovering as they grow older. Those who do so tend to be smarter, more creative, and more successful. But at the very moment when the rewards of curiosity have never been higher, it is misunderstood and undervalued, and increasingly monopolized by the cognitive elite. A curiosity divide is opening up.
“In Curious, Ian Leslie makes a passionate case for the cultivation of our “desire to know.” Drawing on fascinating research from psychology, economics, education, and business, Leslie looks at what feeds curiosity and what starves it, and finds surprising answers. Curiosity is a mental muscle that atrophies without regular exercise and a habit that parents, schools, and workplaces need to nurture.
“Filled with inspiring stories, case studies, and practical advice, Curious will change the way you think about your own mental life, and that of those around you.”

Leslie describes three categories of curiosity: diversive (impulse for novelty), epistemic (hunger for knowledge), and empathic (drive to understand and connect with others). OH I just LOVE this! The book takes us from these distinct definitions into how they manifest over a lifespan in education, at work, and in relationships–with self and others. He suggests creative conceptual frameworks and concrete practices to cultivate a more curious, and thus a more interesting and connected, life.

What are you curious about? What will you do with that curiosity today?