Stop Doing Busy

Have you accepted that being busy is part of your life?

As a mother-doctor, you have so many identities. I know that people come to you with their needs because you are known to get $#it done. Maybe you feel proud that you can get it all done?

mother/wife/daughter/doctor/peacemaker/homework checker/grocery shopper/sports coach/listkeeper/RSVPer/gift buyer/shoelace finder/housekeeper/dinner maker/dinner composter/dishwasher/snuggler/exhausted Netflix binger/paperwork signer…

[insert your own identity!]

When you’re pulled in so many different directions, it can really start to hurt. Do you notice the pain? If yes, what do you do with it? Do you work through the pain? Or do you ignore it?

Like have you ever needed to go to the washroom, but then a new resus case rolls in and you go into superhero mode with a suddenly-inpenetrable-bladder-of-steel?

Have you ever reached the end of your clinic day with a full blown migraine, only to realize that you skipped lunch (and couldn’t remember what you had for breakfast…or even if you had breakfast?). Do you ever feel guilty about relaxing and enjoying time with your kids since you should be doing paperwork/starting a new research protocol/doing CME?

What does it take for you to feed your own need first?

Life is busy. No one said otherwise. Work will always need to be done. Patients will always come if your door is open. Meals will always need to be made.

But is “busy” what you would call a great life? If you spend all your hours doing endless busy-work, when can you just be yourself? Catch your breath for a minute while you think of your heartfelt response.

Question of the Day: After you wake up, can you do something just for yourself for the first 2 minutes of the day? What will it be? Share in the comments below!