Feeling stressed and burnt out? Have a muffin (not)!

Free muffins, no matter how delicious, are not a solution – nor even an adequate stopgap measure – for chronic overwork and constant stress. — Filepic

On a dreary morning more than 20 years ago, I was a resident in internal medicine putting in 80-hour workweeks for what amounted to about US$5 (RM20.96) per hour when I passed through the revolving door of our fancy new hospital atrium and was confronted by a large banner announcing “RESIDENT APPRECIATION DAY”.

Underneath it was a folding cardboard display with stock photos of suspiciously happy, smiling young people in scrubs – and a large plate of muffins.