Protect your Peace

PROTECT YOUR PEACE!

It sometimes takes being pushed to your wit’s ends to actually appreciate what peace means to you. It goes beyond the two fingers we use as a friendly greeting or the notion of being free from mayhem. Your peace is what conserves your sanity and keeps you grounded. It is unique to you and must be protected at all costs. Fundamentally, this is done by instituting balance and priority in your day to day routine. If you’re reading this, it is very likely you aspire to be great at what you do and put forth the effort to be a better version of yourself. As healthcare professionals, we are continuously faced with successes and failures. These can emerge in the form of getting our patients healthier, passing or failing board exams and even attempting to compare ourselves to our peers who may be further along than us in knowledge and skills. We must keep in mind,

  “it’s not about what happens to us, it’s how we respond to it.”


We often get a feeling of euphoria when our patients praise us for the positive impact we’ve had on their lives. These compliments make us feel substantiated and keep us uplifted to do what we do as clinicians. However, what happens when our patients are not getting better and the burden of them losing trust in us starts to outweigh the euphoria? Add non-clinical struggles such as finances, personal relationships and a pandemic in the mix and you might as well just hop in the front row of this emotional roller-coaster. No matter your superhuman strengths, we all are susceptible to losing our cool and finding ourselves drifting from the railroad tracks that have led us to success and happiness.

“You must check in with yourself to assess your needs and fill your own tank before you try pouring into others.”

Life is not normal right now. The routines you may have used in the past to help re-calibrate and balance your life probably have been taken from you in one way or another. Before we can be essential to others, we have to be essential to ourselves. What are you doing to fill your tank? How often are you checking your fuel gauge to see if you’re running on ‘E’? Don’t wait to get stuck in the middle of traffic to call for help when you can see the breakdown miles in advance.
Protecting your peace can be everything you make it. It should always be in your zone of awareness even when things are going well. If your goal is really to help others, we have to make sure we aren’t lending a helping hand from an arm that is weak and tired from its own struggles.  As healthcare professionals, we have the access and knowledge to seek appropriate resources for ourselves. Don’t underestimate the bravery it takes to ask for help. Stay grounded with what keeps you happy, practice gratitude daily and learn to celebrate others by being genuinely ecstatic for their successes even in the midst of your personal disappointments. You’re the driver of this train, don’t let a few stops along the way derail you. Use the help of signs and symptoms to help navigate your way back on track and keep charging forward.
 

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