Weekly Wellness 2/2/2022

"There are so many people who will tell you that you can't do this. But you have to make sure that your voice isn't going to be one of them" - Pooja Agnihotri

Our days are full of people telling us what we did wrong. The pharmacist telling us our dose or medication choice was wrong. The attending, disappointed you didn't think of the correct diagnosis. The consultant, sighing over the phone with annoyance. The nurse asking for the order you forget to put in.

It's not often people praise us for all we've done right in this field.

But in reality, the vast majority of what you do is correct. And if you're a resident, you're not supposed to know it all. You are there to learn.

Your day will likely be more full of negative talk than positive despite this. When I work with residents, at the end of the shift, they have to tell me 3 things they did well. If you are struggling with negative thoughts at the end of a shift, on your way home, I encourage you to do the same for yourself. Train your brain to 'think of 3 good things', instead of dwelling on the negative. You'd be amazed how often you can think of many more, and change your perception of the day.