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Pursuing simplicity in work, home, community, and self

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Learning Through Snorkeling

November 13, 2019 //  by PracticeBalance

We wade into the aqua blue Caribbean that’s lapping at the white sand of Trunk Bay. I’m holding her hand, our masks and snorkels on. No fins (too easy!), but she’s wearing a floatie vest. Farther and farther out we go to where I eventually can’t reach the bottom. The aqua color morphs to …

Learning Through SnorkelingRead More

Gaining Community Through Conferences

September 9, 2019 //  by PracticeBalance

What is Community? When I contemplated it as one of the four realms of balance in my writings here, I found it the most difficult to describe. What does Community look like for you? Family is very important to me and is definitely a part of my Community, but it’s also a part of my Home. Many …

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Modern Medicine Is Both Amazing And Saddening

May 13, 2019 //  by PracticeBalance

Photo by Piron Guillaume on Unsplash A 29 year-old woman was carried into the emergency room by her dirty, bearded husband. She was semi-conscious and slurring her speech. The couple first encountered some opposition to treatment, as this was 1979 and still the age when bearded men were …

Modern Medicine Is Both Amazing And SaddeningRead More

The Substitute Yoga Teacher

May 6, 2019 //  by PracticeBalance

Photo by Anupam Mahapatra on Unsplash All the regulars were sitting on their mats waiting for class to start. Some chatted with their neighbors on adjacent mats, while others quietly stretched. Then, a woman walked to the front of the studio. In a quiet voice, she introduced herself as the …

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#Valueist Staycation: A Gym Membership or Spa Getaway?

February 18, 2019 //  by PracticeBalance

Is it a ridiculously expensive $300/month gym membership, or a valuable $300/month spa vacation with built-in daily childcare? You be the judge... Imagine an oasis of a locker room, one with a stone tile floor clean enough to walk on barefoot. Integrated hot tubs, saunas, and steam rooms. A …

#Valueist Staycation: A Gym Membership or Spa Getaway?Read More

Growing Up, Changing My Mind, and More Money Matters

December 3, 2018 //  by PracticeBalance

Our daughter just turned 3 years old last week, and life with her can only be described as an amazing journey. It seems like yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital on Thanksgiving weekend in a snowstorm. Yet, it feels like she's been with us forever. How is that dichotomy …

Growing Up, Changing My Mind, and More Money MattersRead More

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Dawn L. Baker MD, MS is the founder of PracticeBalance. She became interested in writing about wellness as a lover of language and  outdoor athlete who experienced a major health crisis during residency training. Dawn is dedicated to discussing current practices of self-care and simplicity in the four realms of balance: Work, Home, Community, and Self. She is a speaker and author who has been featured in national syndicates such as KevinMD and Medpage Today. A wife and mother to one daughter and one whippet dog, Dawn also enjoys slow travel, rock climbing, strength and conditioning exercise, attempts at practicing yoga, and long walks with her family.

PB on Instagram

#gratituesday thoughts: time that used to be “just me” is now often “me and her”. Some days it’s like I don’t remember the time before her...
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Top photo: Kalymnos, Greece
Bottom photo: St John, USVI
Take time to smell the roses
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#practicebalance #purejoy #aspenjoy #growingaspen #lessonsfrommydaughter #stillness #holidaybustle #slowdown #slowliving #slowparenting #mamabloggers #somedocs #doctormom #toddlermomlife #freerangeparenting #freerangekids
MY TRIGGERS: what gets the prickles to come out on my skin, the hackles to stand up on my back?
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I’ve found that I need to identify things that set me off and remind myself, so as to hopefully prevent an emotional explosion at times 🤯
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Like if I’m hovering in a trigger area, I need to take special care and be aware 👁
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Mine are related to feeling like a half-ass, being controlled or being indecisive. What are yours?
Dear Aspen - I think back to the times before you were here, and I can’t believe it’s only been 4 years since you came into our lives and made them so much richer. Happy 4th birthday! 🎉
“Island time is a thing... So who’s got it wrong? Maybe I’m the impatient jerk.” .
New blog post today about my experience working as a locum tenens (fill-in) doctor in the US Virgin Islands. .
It wasn’t all coconuts and gardenias, but it was a good learning experience. One I was looking to have during my #sabbatical... Read about it thru the link in my profile or below.
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https://practicebalance.com/2019/11/locum-tenens-anesthesiology-in-the-virgin-islands/
When’s the last time you needed lots of help to do something others take for granted?
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#growingaspen not only had her first roller skating experience today, but she also got a taste of what it feels like to be a true beginner amongst experts.
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When you do something new and you’re just around strangers, it’s not that big of a deal... but when you do that new thing around your friends, who happen to have an ex-hockey player daddy and have been skating on in-lines since age 2, that’s a different story.
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I’m a recovering perfectionist, always afraid to fail. I don’t want that for her.
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She handled it so well. A few quick tears were shed - over butt bruises though, not jealousy or frustration. She used this helper contraption without embarrassment. She took input from others with grace and tried her hardest. All I could ever ask for 🥰🙏.
“It reminded me again that I need to take care of myself.... She might be my teacher, but I’m her foundation.”
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New blog post up today about our awesome beach and snorkeling experience  in the US Virgin Islands. Learning through your child’s eyes is the most amazing experience. It enhances EVERYTHING. .
Check the #latestpost link in my profile, or below:
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https://practicebalance.com/2019/11/learning-through-snorkeling/
Back to #desertlife, #nofilter. November in the desert is truly beautiful. Generally, the skies are blue and clear, temperatures are 70s over 50s, and the air just feels... perfect.
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#practicebalance #sabbatical2019 #homeiswhereyouare #worklifebalance #wellnessbloggers #physicianbloggers #mamabloggers #womenbloggers #SoMeDocs #parttimedoctor #fulltimemama #mamadoc #womeninmedicine #womeninanesthesia  #mothersinmedicine #stressmanagement #selfknowledge #selfcare #selfreflection #pursuingsimplicity #workhomecommunityself #thesimplelife #slowliving #IGetTo
We could be trying to fit in all of the adventures, and that’s exactly what we used to do when we traveled: bringing (or renting) all the gear, getting as many pitches in as possible before sundown, taking the lessons... but instead, lots of days look like this.
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It takes so little for a toddler to be entertained, and it’s both a lesson in stillness and a joy to watch as it happens.
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#practicebalance  #worklifebalance #wellnessbloggers #mamabloggers #SoMeDocs #fulltimemama #mamadoc #womeninmedicine #mothersinmedicine #stressmanagement #selfknowledge #selfcare #selfreflection #pursuingsimplicity #slowtravel #stillness #toddlermomlife #workhomecommunityself #thesimplelife #slowliving #IGetTo
Some mornings the beauty of this island is rivaled in vastness by the amount of work to do at the hospital.
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#saintthomas #usvirginislands #challengeyourself #getoutofyourcomfortzone #safarianesthesia #sabbatical2019 #practicebalance #womeninmedicine #womeninanesthesia

Disclaimers

  1. The content on this site is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
  2. The opinions and information on this site are my own and are not those of my employer.

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