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FEBRUARY 2022 |
VOL 5 ISSUE 6
In this issue:
- Cherished Connections
- Faculty Advice
- Financial Wellness
- Houston Happenings
- Long-Distance Relationships
- MS4 Advice
- The Power of Friendships
- SPOTlight
- Tasty Recipes
- Thrive at UT
- UTHealth Wellness Connection
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The Well is a monthly newsletter that serves to
positively impact the well-being of the McGovern student community
by highlighting a myriad of wellness-related content.
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Click here to share your thoughts on The Well!
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“In this terrifying world,
all we have
are the connections we make.”
| Bojack Horseman
Family. Mentors. Classmates. Situationships. Pets. Co-workers. Lovers, and friends. The relationships that define our lives do so much to enrich the experiences we get to have. Of course, there are many different kinds of relationships that exist, and so there are many different benefits to be had. Ultimately, you get out what you are willing to put in, regardless of the brand. The more respect and trust that can go into these relationships goes on to create more satisfaction, more open communication, and overall a greater sense of community for both sides. From a personal perspective, I know that I could not have made it to medical school if it were not for the support of my family. Additionally, the various mentors and friends who have provided me with priceless advice and encouragement throughout my journey have just as much to do with my triumphs as I do. And just because I know she will read this like she reads all the other Well pieces I write, my significant other is who keeps me sane these days when I need it most. But I digress, and admittedly, it would be very shortsighted of me to assume that my relationships are the same ones that you have. Nevertheless, I encourage you faithful readers of The Well to cherish the relationships you do have, from personal to professional, as they are invaluable to our wellbeing. Iron sharpens iron, and no one person is an island. Find the connections that serve you well, set your boundaries, and you will come into the different mentorships, friendships, romantic relationships, caretakerships, and acquaintanceships of your life with much to give and receive.
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Most of us are familiar with the famous three words from Grey’s Anatomy that embodied the friendship goals we all strive for - “you’re my person.” What Cristina and Meredith started on a fictional show honestly holds so much power in the real world because it showed us that “your person” does not always have to be romantic. With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, it can become easy to be wrapped up as a couple. Or if you are single, it can bring up feelings of loneliness. During this time, it is most important to remember and lean into the power of friendship.
Having strong friendships can enrich one’s life beyond - the amount of studies that have proven that social connectedness and friendships are one of the most important factors in reducing anxiety and depression is remarkable. During the course of medical school and life, friends are inevitably going to grow and change. So ask that person who you think is funny but have never actually talked with to study sometime. If you are in the later years of medical school, maybe reach out to that person you spent so much time with during MS1 year, but now never really see. Give that friend from college who you haven’t talked to in a few months a call on your drive home. Take the initiative because at the very least, I guarantee it will bring you some happiness.
And remember that you can learn so much about a person from the people they choose to surround themselves with. So surround yourself with people who you feel comfortable confiding in. With people who uplift you and push you to grow. With people who make you laugh. With people who call you out when you need it. With people who happily listen to you talk about the same annoying thing over and over, providing reassurance, tough love, or some witty jokes. With people who support your accomplishments and also pick you up after you fall. Take some time to think, who are these friends for you? And after you figure that out, make the necessary effort to keep these people in your life. Having good friends is something we should never take for granted. Because, no matter what happens in our lives, remember that it is often friends who will always be by our side.
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Long-Distance Relationships |
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While a long-distance relationship poses many challenges (as all relationships do), they don’t have to be viewed as a negative or unwanted thing. When entering into a long-distance relationship, I sought advice from couples who thrived despite being long-distance. Here are some of the best words of advice I received:
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Respect the reasons you are apart. Nobody chooses long-distance; odds are, one or both of your individual aspirations are inhibiting you from being in the same city. That said, respect those reasons that you are apart. Adjust your mindset to one of gratitude for the opportunities at bay, and look forward to the day when you and your partner are pursuing your dreams together, in the same space.
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Find hobbies and activities you can do together. Whether it be reading through the same book series, or watching a movie together while eating dinner via Facetime, there are plenty of ways to feel close to your partner despite the separation. It takes creativity, but it is important to feel like you are still “dating” even if miles apart.
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Invest in other relationships while you have the opportunity to. Being long-distance gives you the wonderful opportunity to invest in your relationships with friends, family, mentors, and so on. Our happiness is drawn from so much more than our romantic partners, so use the time you’d be dedicating towards them to invest in your community.
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Spotlight | Fun in the City |
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Mardi Gras season encourages us to "laissez les bon temps rouler" or, simply put, "let the good times roll!" Unfortunately, work and study can easily consume our schedule with little to no time for adulting, much less fun. So, what's the answer? Protect time!
Protecting time for activities that keep connections alive and refuel you is necessary to your well-being. You can start today by revisiting old hobbies, like playing an instrument and charming snakes OR try something new.
A few suggestions:
Cockrell Butterfly Center | The Cockrell Butterfly Center and Brown Hall of Entomology provide entertainment and education for the whole family. Walk through a living butterfly habitat, marvel at spectacular live and preserved specimens of some of the world’s largest and weirdest arthropods, and enjoy interactive games and quizzes.
Momentum Indoor Climbing | With over five enormous walls and climb-over boulders in the gym, you are sure to never get bored in this gym. One part of the gym gets new routes every week, with the whole gym getting a turnover every month or two. Additionally, Momentum has excellent training facilities for cross-training, including a weight room and yoga. The gym also offers a moon board, hang bars, and pegs to improve your climbing skills.
PanIQ Escape Room | Your next great adventure is a lot closer than you think. PanIQ Escape Room Houston is located right between Midtown and the Museum District, making the perfect addition to your next group excursion. An escape room is a game where players are immersed in a unique setting with one hour to complete a mission by solving puzzles, searching for clues, breaking codes, and taking on a number of other challenging tasks. Sounds fun, right? This is what escape rooms are about!
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Maintaining a relationship in medical school may seem like a difficult and sometimes overwhelming task on the endless list of to-dos for a medical student, but in reality, neglecting this part of ourselves is detrimental to the goal of our time in medical school. How can we build meaningful and impactful relationships with our patients if we neglect those in our lives who we care most about? Family, friends, and significant others, these are the people that have shaped us into who we are today. In many ways, they lay the framework for who we will be as physicians.
So how does one go about sustaining or even (ambitiously) growing these relationships while we tackle the massive amount of knowledge that we learn over the course of our 4 years? In my experience, the most natural way to grow in relationships during this time of intellectual development is by bringing them into our world. To share your daily experiences with them. To share in your victories, your losses, and everything in between. When you feel it is a chore to relax with your partner, that is an important sign of burnout to recognize.
Medical school puts us to the test not just in our exams, but in our daily lives. It forces us to prioritize certain parts of our lives over others. But this is not necessarily an obstacle for a relationship, rather it can be a clarifying lens through which we see what matters most to us.
| Helene DiGregorio, MS4
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Relationship Wellness:
The Dual-Physician Perspective
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As MS3s, we worked with the same attending on Surgery who separately offered us one of the best pieces of relationship advice. “Never keep count.” I doubt he knew we were dating. It was probably advice this 60-something year old surgeon gave to every student. Nevertheless, it has been so valuable to me that I bring this up in any conversation about maintaining healthy relationships. The reality is you and your partner will individually go through periods of challenges during your career, and when that happens, pick up their slack without expecting something in return, and “never keep count”. And when occasionally both of you are stretched thin, acknowledge that some things will not get done, and that is okay.
I can tell when Chase walks through the door after work how his day went based on how he carries his shoulders or holds his mouth – subtle signs that others would not detect but I can. However, it is not just recognizing those cues, but acting on them: how can you best support your partner? That also requires knowing what your partner finds relaxing. For Chase, it is mowing the lawn (weird, I know), but that means the way I can help him unwind is to create space over the weekend to do that. If instead, I surprised him with two tickets to Cancun, he would have a panic attack.
Notice none of these things cater to you, but rather, your partner. What we describe are not grandiose gestures of affection, but small things you do for each other on a daily basis. “Wellness” is something you should tend like a plant – a little water every day keeps it alive. Neglect it for a week and then compensate by drowning it will cause it to die (personal experience - I do not have a green thumb).
| By Tina Findley, MD, (edited by Chase Findley, MD)
Pictured above: Dr. Chase Findley (left) and Dr. Tina Findley (right),
back in medical school!
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Wellness Week 2022
February 7-11
stay tuned for more details
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Hot Topics
Click on a topic for tips on tackling the issue
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Houston Museum of Natural Science
02.04-06 | Houston Symphony Orchestra
02.22-27 | Memorial Hermann Broadway at the Hobby Center Hamilton
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Financial Wellness Resources |
Financial Wellness @ McGovern
- https://med.uth.edu/admissions/wellness-resilience/financial-wellness-2/
Student Financial Services
- Newsletters | https://www.uth.edu/sfs/newsletters-and-information/
- Website | https://www.uth.edu/sfs/
- YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrdQD4Kixa5GUWD_Lu8YHRQ
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| Ombudsperson
Are conflicts or concerns causing you undue stress? Contact the Office of the Academic Ombuds. Robin Dickey, PhD, MA, LPC, is available as a listener, mediator, and coach for all members of our UTHealth family. Make an appointment today! https://www.uth.edu/evpara/academic-ombuds.htm
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Thrive at UT is a free app designed to enhance UT student well-being and help busy students live their best life. Thrive helps you make small changes in your routine that have powerful long-term impacts. |
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| UTHealth Wellness Connection |
UTHealth Student Counseling Services has introduced a blog bringing mental health and wellness resources to you. Click the link below to read the latest! |
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Brought to you by the McGovern Student Wellness & Resilience Committee
Questions, Comments, or Contributions to The Well,
please email MS.Wellness@uth.tmc.edu
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