Human Flourishing
Artist @Camilleaubrymakes
5 point model of flourishing created by Louise Younie
Ecological
Our inner life has seasons, is affected by the soil we grow on, the weather that is coming our way
Interconnected
Wellbeing of 'what is' rather than do better (run, eat, sleep)... This is when we build trust and can share challenges e.g. our sense of uncertainty or imposter syndrome...we haven't changed the external situation but we are re-humanised through sharing and realising we are not alone.
Shared meaning making
Drawing on Aristotle's eudaimonia, (purpose, growth, meaning), creating rich meaning making spaces whether in the learning space (student-doctor, or student-patient) or the clinical space (doctor-patient).
Compassion
Compassion for the other and self-compassion are necessarily linked. Kindness is needed for our own humanity and inevitable flaws as well as those of others.
Shadow work
Drawing on Jungian thinking, Shadow work is choosing to engage with and be present to ourselves and our situations that may be uncomfortable or difficult.
Acrostic poems on resilience and flourishing
Creative arts medical students SSC 2023
Flourish
Finding yourself
Living with mistakes
Opening yourself to new experiences
Understanding it’s ok to change
Realising growth is not linear
Inviting forgiveness
Staying true
Holding space
by Naimaah Ahmed
Resilience
Really push yourself to limits
Excel in everything you do
Stop letting hardships affect you
Invest in yourself
Leave nothing to chance
It is no big deal
Expect greatness
No matter the
Circumstances
Everything always
by Grace Boyle
Flourishing
What Does Creative Enquiry Have to Contribute to Flourishing in Medical Education
I vividly recall being astounded at the support and warmth with which my peers approached my contribution, and this gave me a feeling of solidarity and acceptance that I had not yet felt during my experience of online medical school, and which boosted my confidence to contribute further in later discussion… (Creative arts SSC, medical student, 2021)
Resilience has been held up as the new panacea to address our ‘wellness crisis’ in the field of medicine and is used to describe the ability to remain positive and ‘bounce back’. It draws on the Latin root ‘resilire’ to ‘spring back’ or ‘rebound’ and points to the toughness of an individual. Resilience training may have a role but has been found wanting in terms of addressing the burnout crisis in the health professions.
Flourishing is a concept rarely articulated within medical education but which is timely, especially as we face up to COVID-19. Philosophically flourishing has been approximated with Aristotle’s term ‘eudaimonia’ which is wellbeing through meaning making, finding purpose, mastery and personal growth. Metaphorically flourishing connects us with images of trees, flowers, gardens and the space to explore loss, growth, interconnectedness and context.
Advance HE funding bid on creative enquiry and human flourishing
Important papers
What Humans Need: Flourishing in Aristotelian Philosophy and Self-Determination Theory https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-24003-004
Human Flourishing: A New Concept for Preventive Medicine https://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(21)00276-2/fulltext
Rethinking flourishing: Critical insights and qualitative perspectives from the U.S. Midwest https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666560321000578
Park et al in their paper Co-Creating a Thriving Human-Centered Health System in the Post-Covid-19 Era draw upon organisational developmental research to conceptualise ways in which leaders can rebuild healthcare systems promoting workforce wellbeing.
Although these pandemic times are volatile and uncertain there is also cause for hope, historically pandemics have given rise to pan-systemic changes. In these times people and relationship matter more. There is an opportunity to humanise the leadership to deliver systemic changes.
Journal of Holistic Healthcare articles
When I say flourishing in medical education - Louise Younie
Flourishing through creative enquiry: humanising the medical experience - Louise Younie
Humanising medicine through co-creative self-care - Louise Younie
Podcasts
Creative enquiry invites meaning-making with our stories and experiences, our joys and challenges and often emerges new ways of seeing and perceiving, connecting the dots or understanding situations, people and ourselves.
Human flourishing and practitioner development are like two sides of the same revolving coin: the better we understand ourselves in practice with our patients, the more meaningful encounters we might have, the more meaningful encounters we have the more we flourish, the more we flourish the more energy and capacity we have to engage well in our practice where we encounter patients.
This is the Rainy Season - Sara
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The words of this piece caught my attention when I first came across them, as I thought they provided a beautiful depiction of the meaning behind suffering and tests we may face as human beings.
"This is the rainy season. If the rain does not pour down, if the wind does not blow, if the storm and the tempest do not rage, the soul-refreshing springtime will not appear. If the clouds do not weep the meadows will not laugh."
I found these words so thought-provoking that I was inspired to put them to music. The piano accompaniment and tune were composed by myself and the track submitted above is a live recording of my playing and singing. I think the meaning behind the words is very relevant to theme of both mental health and flourishing. Sometimes, when faced with grief or depression, we can get so bogged down that we struggle to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and get get caught up in a helpless feeling of despair. The analogy used in this quote helps us to see that suffering of any kind, whether mental or physical, can be a stepping stone for our development and flourishing as human beings, in the same way as a spell of stormy weather can stimulate the plants to thrive and prosper into a beautiful springtime. So, although at times we may feel we are caught up in "the rainy season" with no hope in sight, we can rest assured that not only can pain be transient, it can also help us blossom into stronger people. Knowing this can be a source of great comfort, but it is important that others help us to climb out of what can seem like a rabbit-hole of depression, with active support and assistance.
Fortunately, today there is a much wider scientific and medical understanding of mental health illnesses, and there are multiple forms of help that can be sought including counselling, therapy, and medication. But it is important also not to overlook the power that spirituality and/or mindfulness can have through the form of sacred writings like this quote, which was written by Abdu'l-Baha, as part of the words of the Baha'i Faith. Regardless of a person's spiritual or religious beliefs, the meaning behind words like these can be another source of healing, especially when presented in a more universal, creative and accessible form such as music, which I have attempted to do in this submission. To quote the great musician, Stevie Wonder; "Music is a world within itself with a language we all understand."
dental student, 2019