I happened to bump into one of my good fellows from college days who happened to be a medical specialist in Peshawar now. The once bubbly athletic fellow I used to remember looked quite tired and drained. Of course it was a given how many doctors around the world have no excuse for their well-being rather self-care is considered more of a luxury for physicians these days. A little disturbed by my friend’s appearance I encouraged him to get more conscious about his self-care. Here is what I recommend to him.
Shift your Mindset
The way you receive your health and yourself has a lot to do with your mindset. Most of us hide behind our excuse for a tough routine and lack of time however it really needs to start with your mindset. You need to understand that despite your work demand you need to start with yourself first. This is the first step towards getting rid of burnout and more resilience for your work. If you are also aiming to focus on yourself more you need to start with shifting your mind towards you first.
Create Mindfulness
Being mindful is a wonderful feeling. When you understand your consciousness it becomes very important to control your emotions and mind likewise. It becomes even much easier to focus on your work even more. The practice of mindfulness is to slow down and observe.
Most doctors in this new time and age are more focused on how to stay on your toes 24/7. This is exactly why being mindful is very very important. Being able to calm down and observe your surroundings casually allows you to have more control and focus in your environment.
Gratitude
Being thankful with your time and energy is actually a big hassle, especially if you are someone who runs around in scrubs all day. However, being truly grateful for your life blessing that comes with great responsibility of handling people is actually a huge milestone.
There are many ways to start with that, just reminding yourself in your own mind will help you have a positive outlook on life. So here is what you can do to start with 3 things you’re grateful for. If you can write or type it on your phone, do so but if you don’t find time or that you can also simply start with reminding yourself top 3 things you are thankful for in your life.
Physical exercise
Many doctors due to their hectic around the clock routine gives up on any physical activity. This is where you need to change your routine. You need to squeeze in a few minutes of physical activity, even if it’s as short as 7 minutes.
You can even do some stretches in the waiting hall. Rahim medical center and hospital actually has an area where doctors can go and do some physical activity to recharge for their day. There are special apps designed that helps you with providing a full physical workout blast only in a few minutes. To manage your time you can actually straight away jump off your bed and get started with your physical activity right away. A small boost of physical movement will actually keep you super alert throughout your work time.
Hydration
You need to drink your water. Period.
There is no infused science around in having a shortcut around your hydration. You just have to be more mindful about drinking your water. For example in order to remember more on hydration you can place bottles in your office, car or your side table. Make sure to drink at least 8 bottles of water to help with your fatigue.
Take care of your skin
Washing your face at the end of the day is a must if you have been doing nothing but crashing straight into bed. The best you can do for your skin is to invest into facial wipes and at least swab your face with face wipe at the end of the day.
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It’s important to take care of your skin and moisturize it. After you have cleaned your skin, invest into a good sleeping mask and make sure to apply it evenly on your skin. A sleeping mask helps with extra boost of hydration without you having to go through multiple skincare steps.
Socialize
Socializing is a basic instinct and need of every human. Oftentimes when we get busy in our hectic routines we forget how hanging around with people can bring us back to life. Visiting your friends or just taking a break with your friends in a nearby café can help you a lot with your mental health. Rather, having a healthy balance between work and life is important for personal achievement and mental growth.
Love yourself Back!
There are many ways you can take care of yourself however everything mentioned above is a very simple way of getting yourself into the gear of taking care of yourself.