Having just spent 4 days working as a doctor at Auckland City Hospital over Easter I am appreciating the importance of being chilled. In my 20 years working as a doctor I have spent 7 Easters that I can remember working in the Emergency Department of a number of hospitals and Emergency Clinics. In that 20 years I have seen unbelievable road carnage, families and lives destroyed and changed forever.

I have seen the tragedy and the spirit of the human condition in many shapes, forms and sizes. The loneliness of the alcoholic, the desperation of self harm, the triumph over disease, and the calm of acceptance.

One of the things that strikes me the most is the importance of “being chilled”. Working with teams of doctors, nurses, orderlies, clerks, ambulance staff and others who have control of their emotions makes a massive difference to patient care, enjoyment of the job and I believe health outcomes. I have had a great Easter working with such teams. I did not choose to work this Easter, my roster dictated it. Hospitals don’t close and those who were rostered on to keep it open chose their attitude well.

The calm of acceptance that you are rostered on to do a job and do it well and being surrounded by those with a similar attitude and belief is important no matter where you are. Not being chilled is a direct result of unhealthy thinking usually related to unhealthy beliefs and attitudes. Life is so much more fun for you and those around you when you can learn to be chilled and master your emotional responses. Sometimes the only thing you can change is your attitude. Knowing how to do it is the key.