The Holidays…The Flu
As we move away from Summer into Fall, ‘tis the season again for holidays and flu shots. As busy physicians, we often place the wellbeing of others above that of our own. As I reflect on ways for me to stay healthy and avoid treading the same path that I often regret in past holiday seasons, hopefully, this message can serve as a reminder for us to take a step back and focus on ourselves and our families and to replenish our wellness and rekindle our relationships with family and friends.
Burn out, moral injury, you name it. With ongoing attention paid to this deadly phenomenon, more and more leaders and groups are touting the importance of wellness. Certainly, systemic improvements and organizational supports can bring about positive changes. However, equally important is our own willingness to allow these changes to affect our daily lives. Taking time to step back from the busy exam rooms to reflect and rest, especially during the crunch time of the upcoming flu season, will be crucial to building and sustaining our wellness. Take advantage of wellness retreats and seminars to re-energize and learn about skills to sustain this wellness during our busy schedules. Learning brief meditation techniques that can be incorporated into our daily routine may be another way to re-orient ourselves when we are frazzled and three patients behind. Reaching out to a friend or colleague to share stories and encourage one another. Again, these ideas are not new; but, hopefully, we can remember to practice a few of these as we enter the last quarter of this year.
We often counsel our patients about diet as we approach the holidays. However, I often find myself indulging in the festive delicacies and forgetting all that I taught my patients a few hours prior . “Do what I say and not what I do” is often my mindset when confronted by my wife or my sister about my lack of self-control at the restaurants or parties. Reminding ourselves to maintain healthy diet during holiday gatherings will be important to protecting our wellbeing. Arranging meaningful activities to spend time with loved ones while avoiding over-eating and/or drinking can be helpful for everyone involved. Prioritizing our relationships and shoring up our support systems will be tremendously helpful when stress becomes overwhelming and daunting. Using this time to rekindle our relationships, reconnect with friends and loved ones, and finally realizing that new year resolution set months ago to improve our health and wellbeing.
Of course, don’t forget the flu shot! Hopefully, this note to self can immunize us from the ill effects of the inevitable stresses and temptations and protect our wellness in the months to come.
Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season!
