I am really not ready to start 2007, but it is becoming apparent that I don't have much of a choice. If I keep dating things 2006, people will just look at me funny like the morning last week when I timed and dated one of my notes April 1993. Oops.
Many times people start looking to a new year all goal-oriented and stuff, but I have kind of already set lofty goals for myself, so I am going to ask you a tougher question:
What do you like about yourself that you want to keep this year?
For me, I suppose that would have to be my sense of humor and my compassion for other people. Lately, work seems to be full of war metaphors. In terms of healthcare, sometimes it seems like an "us vs. them" scenario in which the patient is the enemy. (Boy, I sound like our hospital lawyer's worst nightmare.) It is too easy to become cynical. While I agree that when taking care of others, one needs to be able to separate themselves emotionally from their patients, I don't want to get to the point where I have to be reminded about the patient's feelings. And I am guilty of it to an extent, in that I keep a very close eye on the clock. My day is pretty much built up around leaving and getting everything ready to leave on time. Maybe I have been approaching burnout, but I should still be checking and rechecking my patients, rather than their labs and their orders.
So to keep my compassion and sense of humor, I plan on taking better care of myself. Slowing down more in my free time. Less to-do lists, and more time for myself. Letting the voicemail pick up if I don't feel like talking. More saying "no" if I don't want to go out.
Happy New Year!
Many times people start looking to a new year all goal-oriented and stuff, but I have kind of already set lofty goals for myself, so I am going to ask you a tougher question:
What do you like about yourself that you want to keep this year?
For me, I suppose that would have to be my sense of humor and my compassion for other people. Lately, work seems to be full of war metaphors. In terms of healthcare, sometimes it seems like an "us vs. them" scenario in which the patient is the enemy. (Boy, I sound like our hospital lawyer's worst nightmare.) It is too easy to become cynical. While I agree that when taking care of others, one needs to be able to separate themselves emotionally from their patients, I don't want to get to the point where I have to be reminded about the patient's feelings. And I am guilty of it to an extent, in that I keep a very close eye on the clock. My day is pretty much built up around leaving and getting everything ready to leave on time. Maybe I have been approaching burnout, but I should still be checking and rechecking my patients, rather than their labs and their orders.
So to keep my compassion and sense of humor, I plan on taking better care of myself. Slowing down more in my free time. Less to-do lists, and more time for myself. Letting the voicemail pick up if I don't feel like talking. More saying "no" if I don't want to go out.
Happy New Year!
Posts
2 comments:
1993? Youch!
amen to all of those. I decided yesterday that I would try to do things less out of obligation and more out of love, and to some extent, it worked. I also want to slow down and stop feeling so rushed. Hope your resolutions survive and thrive.
Post a Comment