Career and Life Planning Guidebook for Medical Residents

SECTION I: T MINUS THREE YEARS R E A D : Incorporating Wellness into Every Day Expecting a patient, let alone ourselves, to commit a large chunk of time for self-care during their week can seem like a big ask. I spent years toiling under the delusion that if I just kept my head down and plowed forward. I would be “OK.” As I noted earlier, I often use analogies with my learners or my patients to get an important concept across. My favorite self-care analogy is a very simple one: If you don’t put gas in your tank, your car doesn’t run. It’s just that simple, yet that complex. Deciding that you are going to be a priority in your own life and investing time and effort into your own wellness not only benefits you, but it has an unmeasurable positive impact on those around you. You are role modeling a message to your family, your friends, your coworkers, and your patients that your health (physical and mental) is important to you. How can you get this habit started? By taking ten minutes a day for yourself. Recommended Tool Mood Tools App For Depression Use this app to improve your mood by analyzing your thoughts and identifying negative/distorted thinking patterns based on principles from cognitive therapy. http://www.moodtools.org/ Fear Tools App For Anxiety Use this app to relax with this simple and customizable paced breathing tool http://www.feartools.com/ CAREER AND LIFE PLANNING GUIDEBOOK FOR MEDICAL RESIDENTS 60