Think back to your childhood…every time you started something new you were excited. The possibilities were endless. When you were young, you didn’t know what you didn’t know. Everything was easy, and it was all fun. That is, until you decided that you wanted to be good at it.

Stressed? Anxious? Exhausted? Drained?

Many people feel this was feel this way about work, due to stressors and pressures. Longer work hours, more frequent hassles, the need to do more with fewer resources all add to the pressure Such work stress has been shown to induce anxiety and anger, unethical behaviour, poor decision making, and chronic exhaustion and burnout, all of which impair personal and organisational performance.

It’s not easy interviewing Denise because every time I ask her a question, she talks about someone else. She defaults to others, continually. She is more interested in everyone else, than herself. She is one of those selfless people that can choke you up in an instant, because she is so kind and so giving. I am beginning to get it. Nurses don’t feel very comfortable talking about themselves. It’s all about other people. All the time.

Victoria in one of nearly 2 million healthcare professional is the UK who are driven by a passion, mission, purpose – call it what you will – to help and care for people. It’s a driving force that is almost palpable when she speaks. Their purpose is so clear, and so strong, that finding the mental toughness (confidence, commitment, determination, courage, focus) they need to do their jobs – to do the work they do, day in and day out – comes easily and naturally.