In the study, the Mediterranean diet was defined as a “high ratio of monounsaturated fats (i.e., olive oil) to saturated fats; moderate intake of alcohol and dairy products; low intake of meat; and high intake of legumes, fruit and nuts, cereals, vegetables and fish.” (Sánchez-Villegas, 2009). Those who consumed larger amounts of dairy and meat products increased their risk of depression significantly (Sánchez-Villegas, 2009). Proponents of this way of eating also encourage people to be physically active, get adequate rest, and join others for food preparation and meals.
In other words, “all work and no play” doesn’t bode well for a healthy life. Regardless of how you choose your foods, people who feel more upbeat and energized are more likely to enjoy meaningful interactions.
The Commute (Ugh!) and How to Transition to a Better Day
Now it’s time to head to work. You are well-rested, well-fed, energized, and ready to connect with your patients. Then, you hit traffic. How do you respond to honking cars, rude drivers, and slow-moving traffic? Do you feel your blood come to a boil or do you stay calm? If it unnerves you, how well do you calm yourself once you enter your office? You can choose to see traffic from a more positive point of view. Think of it as an unexpected, but welcome, break in your hectic day. It is private time when you can listen to music or to a favorite talk show. Don’t take calls, but answer the phone quickly and say you will call back when you arrive at work. If you view these extra minutes as free time, the delay is less likely to frustrate you. Just let co-workers know you are caught in traffic so they can make any necessary scheduling adjustments. Then try to enjoy that private time.
I Like Traffic
I am lucky
I am free
I get extra time
with only me
and if I think
that I am boring
I use audible.com
to go exploring
I say this
when I begin my drive
I will arrive happy
… and alive
—Dr. Wendy Satin Rapaport
Calming Tools
Physical Activity
Many of us turn to physical activity to help reduce our stress: We do yoga, work out at the gym, or fit in a brisk 10-minute walk to help handle the tensions of the day. The following are additional calming techniques you can try. Your personal experience with these can help you communicate their value to others.
Deep Breathing
Breathing comes naturally, but the types of breaths we take when we are tense tend to be more shallow and quick. Joan Borysenko, director of Harvard’s Mind-Body Program, suggests diaphragmatic breathing as a way to calm yourself when you are stressed (Borysenko, 2011). To breathe this way, do the following:
● Take a slow, deep breath as you expand your belly then exhale slowly. This will help you calm down. To take this breathing to the next level, assess the amount of stress you currently feel and assign it a number from 1 to 10, with 10 being the most anxious. Next, take that number of deep, slow, diaphragmatic breaths and gradually feel yourself move from your high stress number to a much lower, calmer number.
● Focus on your belly as you inhale. Hold the breath for a few moments then slowly exhale as you watch your belly contract. Inhale, hold, exhale, repeat … silently recite these steps, if you find it helpful. Try to remember how it feels to calm yourself down from a high stress level to a calmer level. If thoughts enter your mind, let them pass without judgment and return your focus back to your breathing.
● Enjoy the increased level of calm that you start to feel.
Breathing on the Go
When you don’t have time to run through a complete breathing exercise or are at locations where deep breathing isn’t practical, such as in a meeting, focus on a time when you did the exercise and picture the tension flowing out of your body. Your recollection of this activity can calm you down, even if you don’t run through an entire breathing sequence. If possible, close your eyes for a moment and feel your body move from a high level of stress to a calmer level.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is all about training your brain to slow down and “smell the roses.” Life is hectic. We juggle overwhelming schedules and multitask. When you practice mindfulness, you focus only on the present. As thoughts and feelings enter your mind, don’t judge them, as they are neither good nor bad. Just breathe and stay in the moment. This is a great technique to use when life becomes chaotic.
Minute Visualization
Stop what you are doing, breathe, and take a moment to return to a calming memory, feeling, or place. If nothing comes to mind, think about something you enjoy in nature. The added visualization can help reinforce a deeper feeling of relaxation. As you breathe, repeat a phrase that makes you smile or relax, such as “children laughing” or “the smell of coffee in the morning,” and see what happens.
Guided Imagery Meditation
Choose a phrase that has meaning for you then focus on it as you take five slow, deep breaths. One example is the phrase “the joy of helping.” As you repeat it, remember the warm feeling of satisfaction that radiates throughout your body as you experience the joy of helping others. Breathe in, and out—the joy of helping, the joy of helping—as you say the words, feel happy about the work you do. If you work with children, feel the warmth of a tiny hand clutching your hand as you help bring comfort to a young one newly diagnosed with diabetes. The joy of helping—picture the slight nodding of the father’s head as he holds back tears. Your eyes meet and connect. You give him hope. The joy of helping—picture the 50-year-old woman shocked by her diagnosis, but who no longer feels alone because she is with you. The joy of helping … the joy of helping. Remember these powerful images and keep the memories with you throughout the day.
Remember, you have some control over your day. Use the SDR intervention and the other techniques we mentioned to help change your thinking. Try to calm yourself before you enter your workplace. The minutes you invest in doing this may improve your physical and mental health, as well as the interactions you have with your staff, patients, and other people you encounter throughout the day. So, check your bad mood at the door, leave it in the car, or make an effort to moderate it as your day goes on. It’s good for you and your patients.
The Takeaway
Be mindful of how you, your health, and your emotions affect others.
In this chapter, you will learn the following:
● How to promote better patient and professional interactions before you meet
Have you ever seen the Ellen DeGeneres show? She has one of the most enthusiastic audiences on television. When Ellen walks out onto the stage at the start of the show, the crowd goes wild. Within minutes everyone is cheering and dancing in the aisles. How do the individual audience members, who certainly look forward to seeing the host, transform into a supercharged group? Ellen’s staff gets a lot of the credit; they greet each visitor with lots of enthusiasm, play lively music, dance, and joke around with everyone. Because they put in such an effort before the curtain goes up, Ellen gets a great response from the crowd and has a terrific show.
Who “warms up” your patients before they meet with you? Your staff. They schedule appointments