BLOG: Slay COVID-19 with gratitude
The last several months have challenged us. Many of us have lost friends, patients and loved ones to the scourge of COVID-19.
We are still burdened by the yokes of mask wear, social distancing and the omnipresent fear of contracting illness. Surgical volumes remain down and there is still the lingering threat of another shutdown of surgical cases. Yet, in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, we can still have a measure of peace.
Our internal lives are the product of what we pay attention to. We possess inner freedoms to choose where we can direct our thinking.
We have a choice
We have a choice. We can direct our attention to all that is lacking (income, social interaction, indoor dining, etc.) or focus on all that we have. In other words, we can choose for what to be grateful.
Gratitude has been shown in numerous studies to be the ultimate “stress buster.” A grateful disposition has numerous health benefits, including enhanced sleep, decreased illness prevalence and general well-being. In fact, being grateful has been shown to increase levels of “feel good” chemicals, including serotonin, oxytocin and dopamine. Being grateful brings us to present moment awareness by increasing brain activity in the prefrontal cortex – the seat of “attention.” For those who believe in a higher power, gratitude helps connect us to something bigger than ourselves. That is the experience of a power or force larger than ourselves is only truly experienced in the now.
We can reframe our perception of reality through the eyes of a grateful heart. In every event, we can perceive either a curse or a blessing. For diminished surgical volume, is it a curse of lowered income or blessing to have more time to reflect and spend with family? For social distancing, is it a curse of loneliness or a blessing to enrich my relationships at home or work? For the impact of illness on friends and family, do you dwell on loss excessively or focus on who is in my life now? For the travel ban, do you curse being a homebody or regard it as a blessing to rediscover family traditions and old-fashioned interactive games?
You see, we have a lot for which to be grateful. We will never starve and we will always have a roof over our heads. We still have the greatest vocation on earth – to mitigate pain and enrich the quality of the lives of every patient we meet. Truly, the life of an orthopedist is replete with meaning. It is our choice to decide where we are going to direct our attention.
Create a gratitude journal
Try this. Create a gratitude journal and every day make entries of three things you are grateful for in the past 24 hours. Write in detail on the aspects of one positive experience. It could be a call from a friend, a great case or an encounter with a grateful patient.
Every day, send an email or text to a mentor, teacher or trusted friend and thank them for what they mean to you. Be generous and be bold enough to include old coaches, colleagues or attendings who were especially kind to you during your training. Recognize and reflect daily on the truth: “If you have money in the bank, in your wallet and spare change in a dish someplace, then you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.” Take this time to tell those you are close to that you love them. It’s never too late.
Consistency is key and it takes at least 20 seconds for a positive emotion to rewire our brains. Daily writing and reflection on the positive are essential. The more gratitude is practiced, the more our brains are likely to tune into the positives in our world. Author Shawn Achor states that with patient perseverance, we can rewire our brains to increased positivity and happiness after 21 days of faithful gratitude practice.
The vaccine is upon us. COVID-19 will soon be behind us. Let’s make the most of these remaining months and be grateful we are still on this Earth.
References:
Achor S. The happiness advantage: How a positive brain fuels success in work and life. Currency; 2010.
Florencio F, et al. Personality and Individual Differences. 2020;doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2020.110101.
Killen A, et al. Journal of Happiness Studies. 2015;16.4:947-964.
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