The physicians also felt increased empathy for patients. They described feeling curious about, instead of resentful toward, patients with difficult cases. They were more likely to feel grateful rather than overwhelmed when spending time with patients who were suffering. Opening up to the suffering that is an intrinsic part of their work helped these physicians reconnect meaning to it. This is a strategy that challenges how we usually think about managing stress. Rather than trying to reduce stress, they embraced it. When stress is part of what makes something meaningful, shutting it out doesn’t get rid of the stress. Instead, taking the time to fully process and make meaning from what is stressful can transform it from something that drains you into something that sustains you.
— The Upside of Stress (Kelly McGonigal), Loc. 1429–35