Today’s post is driven by a conversation with a respected colleague whom I spent time with this morning, when we became immersed in a conversation about how surgeons fail ourselves in terms of wellness. Although I pride myself on my ability to set limits, this week has been a whirlwind.
Let’s recap:
Sunday night- burn call, 1 pre-bedtime admission
Monday- orientation of a new group of medical students, meetings, annual trip to the veterinarian for my cats, during which I get the opportunity to observe my usually Zen boy cat have a complete and total meltdown (also an annual event)
Tuesday night- helped host the first-ever Association of Women Surgeons tweet chat, a new way for us to network that I hope will grow. Committee conference call just after.
Wednesday-resident interviews, quick clinic visit with a lovely patient, then off to the airport for an evening flight to Edmonton, AB
Thursday/ Friday-Visiting professor at U of Alberta
I’m writing this post somewhere in the skies of Canada or the northernmost parts of the US as I head home from that visit. Now, to give myself credit for things I did “right” from a wellness standpoint in the midst of this wild week, there were quite a few. I went a got a pedicure on Sunday since it wasn’t too close to next weekend’s half-marathon. I did core and weight work on Monday and Wednesday and ran on Tuesday and Thursday. And this weekend…tomorrow morning run with my fabulous running group, afternoon haircut (sorely needed!), evening at the Symphony. And Sunday…a facial in the morning and Restore yoga workshop in the afternoon. Did I mention restorative yoga? Because it’s really amazing and restorative.
Why am I rambling to you about the minutiae of my week and weekend (hey, I didn’t catalog my meals for you!)? Mostly to make a point that even in the midst of tremendous busy-ness I managed to hit the “reset” button a few times, and I plan to hit it repeatedly this weekend. I do these mini-resets regularly because I learned my lesson about not doing them, resulting in those times when you need to do a hard reboot. While hard reboots are still beneficial, the reality is that it’s better for us at an individual basis and for those who love us the most that we not achieve a need for one.
It’s Friday evening and there’s a weekend in front of all of us. While I recognize the demands of our profession mean that more than a few of us are working (I am on call Sunday night), I hope that I can encourage you to stop for just a moment…and push the reset button. Do something, even for 15 or 20 minutes, that is just for you and recharges you. Don’t do it because you “should.” Do it because you can.
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