decades of underfunding of our public school system especially in our must vulnerable communities, most public school students in our country will remain at home for their learning at least through January, if not for this year and possibly more. San Francisco public schools are not planning to attempt to reopen at the present and have not committed to a date or a plan. We must do what it takes to reopen schools safely and equitably. And we must do it urgently. That means keeping community rates of COVID low, even if that means slowing the opening of non-essential businesses like bars and restaurants. When we prioritize bars over the education of our children, our society is making a bad choice. In order to do this we will need enormous resources, financial and human. This is the time to invest those resources in the
SFMMS Fall Wellness Corner Jessie Mahoney, MD Chair of SFMMS Physician Wellness Task Force
Mindset Strategies- Psychological PPE for Physicians
While you are “saving” the world, don't forget to take a moment to savor the world. Thank you for your contributions to the world during the last 6 months. It has been an unusual time in medicine. I want to encourage you all to take some time to savor your own life experience. Savoring the beauty of your daily life is critical to your resilience and fortitude. Learning to pause and be present and to be mindful and intentional is protective against burnout and helps you reconnect with your passion, your purpose, and your loved ones. Caring for others, fixing things, and working for change is an integral part of being a healer but we must also not miss out on being, noticing, living, and connecting. When you choose to think that everything is exactly as it should be right here in this moment- all the good and the bad, the covid and the anxiety and the stress- you have much more space, clarity, and energy to simultaneously savor AND save the world. Don’t wait for the circumstances to change to start savoring your life. With intention, start to savor each minute as it is right now and see what happens. The power is in the pause "Practice the pause. Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you are about to react harshly and you'll avoid doing and saying things you will regret." -Lori Deschene Practice the pause. Learn to be present. Choose to be intentional.
Pause and presence change you for the better. Which changes your experience of everything around you for th better. Who doesn't need this right now. WWW.SFMMS.ORG
future of our children, in the future of our economy, in the future of women, in the future of our city. Parents, teachers, pediatricians and child advocates need to make the largest amount of noise over this. Economists and the financial sector should also be making large amounts of noise over this. Reopening schools is an urgent national priority, for all of us. Kimberly Newell Green, MD is a pediatrician and past-president of the SFMMS.
It’s Possible It’s possible to go from struggling to managing to living more easefully to feeling passionate, engaged and connected. Even in 2020. Even as a physician in a pandemic. It’s possible to let go of most of the stress and struggle. To grow. To evolve. To rediscover your passion. It's possible to become more at peace and connected with loved ones. It's possible to be a more content and effective doctor and colleague. It's possible to lessen drama. It's possible to stop wasting time
To struggle less. To decrease worry. To feel at peace. To find ease. To connect better. To feel more compassion. To feel more connected to your purpose.
and energy. To rewrite your story. To make decisions with ease. To prioritize. To constrain. To move forward.
Even in a pandemic. Even with distance learning. Even with partners or colleagues who have their own struggles and aren’t behaving as you think they “should.” It's possible for relationships to strengthen. It's possible to start a new career. To start to feel more content at your job. To find your passion. To find your voice. To be authentically you. It's possible to feel that everything feels manageable and is working out exactly as it is supposed to even when it isn’t all “good.” How? By mindfully managing your mind. Attention and Intention
What if you approached your life with intention as your motivation rather than being driven by guilt, anxiety, or a fear of not measuring up. Guilt is limiting. It drains your energy and narrows your vision. Anxiety and feelings of inadequacy lead to burnout, frustration, and ultimately exhaustion and isolation. Intention involves attention. Intention is the process of identifying and choosing the qualities and energy, you wish to bring into the world. Intention comes from a place of abundance. Rather than moving through the world reacting and numb, what would be different if you chose attention and intention? SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020
SAN FRANCISCO MARIN MEDICINE
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