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Pursuing simplicity in work, home, community, and self

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This Year, Focus On Habits, Not Resolutions

January 4, 2018 //  by PracticeBalance//  2 Comments

Rolling into the new year like…

It’s the time of year again when people consider things they want to change in their lives. Ways they want to be better. Goals they want to achieve. But as we all know, these changes don’t happen overnight. Just how the journey is more important than the destination, the habits we employ on the path to reaching our goals are the keys to a truly Happy New Year. I’ve come to realize that focusing on daily habits, rather than particular outcomes, is the best way for me to reach lofty goals.

My husband had a far-reaching goal that he’d been talking about on and off for years: to pull a 500 lb deadlift. Instead of holding that number in his head while grinding away at the gym, he actually met the goal during our Tactical Strength Challenge this past fall. It happened through the regular practice of deadlifting for several months in preparation for the challenge, which involved a lot more than just that one exercise. And for years, I wanted to do a “real” pull up – no jumping or assistance. I kept writing it on my resolutions list, and I even tried a couple of programs. But adopting the regular habit of kettlebell and weight training is what actually helped me to finally do it this past year. I can think of many other examples when I incidentally achieved a goal while going about life and not specifically thinking about it.

I recently wrote down 18 things I want to do in 2018, inspired by a recent episode of Gretchen Rubin’s Happier Podcast, and I crafted a lot of them in habit form. For example, I’m still struggling with sugar cravings and would like to eat less frequently, so I’m going to do a 30-day keto diet experiment in which I eat very low carb for 30 days in a row to see how this affects my hunger. I would like to spend more time with my husband this year after two years of intense but awesome family time, so we are planning to hire a babysitter at least biweekly to do something alone together. I want to recover from my nagging shoulder injury and recent lumbar disc herniation (boo!), so instead of declaring a resolution like “I want to be injury-free in 2018”, I have come up with a short therapy routine that I will do at least 5 days a week until I don’t feel like I need it anymore.

An important piece of this kind of self-improvement scheme is tracking. Diet tracker apps are abound, but I like this one and this one. There are also lots of habit trackers such as this one that I use, but there’s always the old standby of pen, paper, and check-boxes.

What are your big goals this year, and what habits will you track to reach them?

Category: UncategorizedTag: habits, resolutions, self, self-improvement

Building My Emotional Bank Account

October 23, 2017 //  by PracticeBalance//  4 Comments

Her and him

On a recent busy morning, I was packing lunches and gear to spend a half-day at the climbing gym on the other side of town, all while getting myself dressed, scrolling through my email, eating an avocado and drinking coffee. Suddenly she became fussy and restless, signaling that we need to get going pronto. A jumbled mess in multitasking mode, I became frustrated with everyone and everything. He and I blew up at each other, arguing over his perception of my lack of preparations and my perception of his lack of participation in said preparations. Voices were raised, and she continued to cry. In my usual defensive fashion, I remarked, “Well everything was going fine until….”

Yes, everything was fine, until it wasn’t. It’s like claiming I was “on time” to be somewhere, until I got stuck in a traffic jam. It’s like someone complaining that they had enough money in the bank until an unforeseen expense occurred. It’s living on the edge, and the excuses don’t mean anything. At the time of this argument, my emotional bank account was almost bankrupt. An upset baby, disgusted husband, misinterpreted feelings and too long of a to-do list tipped me right into the red zone. This has been happening too frequently lately.

What does emotional bankruptcy look like? Overwhelm with a film of denial on top of that overwhelm. Seeing things as happening to me, instead of knowing that I am in control of my thoughts and actions. Feeling like a victim. Seeing everything in a negative light. It leads me into a self-imposed vortex of helplessness and lack of control. What does an abundant emotional bank account look like? Similar to a financial bank account, it provides resiliency and grace in moments of difficulty. A full bank account turns bumps in the road into opportunities for learning rather than catastrophes. It makes a little space for handling conflicts.

We all have a finite amount of emotional “funds”. Just like with monetary bank accounts, the balance will fluctuate, growing and dwindling even on a day to day basis. What we want to avoid is what I recently heard Gretchen Rubin term “falling into empty”. Of course, we all have bad days, but if you feel like you’re constantly teetering on the edge of a blowup or a breakdown, some self-reflection may be in order.

A big source of withdrawal from my emotional bank account is my habit of making endless task lists. I often have many of them going at once, with different themes and time courses for completion. Constantly seeing them sitting on the counter is a reminder of all the things I “should” be doing, which contributes greatly to feeling overwhelmed at any given time. Although I don’t think I’m ready to give up my lists completely, I’m working with a list app and using my calendar to try to streamline the list-making. With an electronic list, I have to choose to look at it instead of it constantly staring at me.

Certain feelings fuel my withdrawals, particularly comparison, resentment, and the strong desire to avoid conflict. Overt comparison to friends and coworkers is something I’ve tried to avoid, but it’s easy to fall prey to subconscious comparison with social media. Parenting provides endless fodder for not only comparison (to other parents, between spouses, to your own parents) but also resentment (over shared household duties, losing one’s identities, etc.) As an introvert, I also know that conflicts inherently drain my energy. I avoid them at all costs, but oftentimes holding my tongue until a later time for the sake of conflict avoidance is counter-productive.

Self-care is the essence of making deposits to an emotional bank account. For me, this means cultivating more alone time, even in short quantities. It means quiet time for reflection. I haven’t found a formal meditation practice that I like or can stick to, so I tend to do it by spending silent time in the car on the way to work or the gym. Sometimes before I go pick her up at school, I take a short walk before pulling into the parking lot. I set a reminder to journal even just one sentence every day. Most commonly, I make the theme gratitude (the opposite of resentment) or identification of feelings. And I’ve instituted a social media “fast” one day per week.

The rest of that day was just as bumpy as the beginning. We came home to a dog-induced explosion of the kitchen garbage can, I had braved the Saturday afternoon crowds at Costco to get diapers, and after I got home and unpacked the entire box, I realized I had purchased the wrong size. The laundry from the morning was still sitting limp and soggy in the washer. After dinner, I asked him to watch her while I frantically made her bed, lest the bedtime routine be anything less than seamless later on. I heard her in the living room, chanting a line from her favorite show, Elmo’s World: Play Ball!. “Tellys don’t bounce. Tellys don’t bounce.” She said it over and over. Then I heard him chime in with his smooth, deep voice: “Unless they’re on a pogo stick.” My heart melted, and that moment of gratitude tipped my emotional bank account way into the black again.

Category: UncategorizedTag: comparisons, emotions, family, introvert, lists, self, self-care, self-knowledge

Doing Hard Things

July 31, 2017 //  by PracticeBalance//  Leave a Comment

Our home kettlebell collection

In the past, I had a predominantly fixed mindset that led me to focus on doing things that were relatively easy for me. I was naturally good at music and academics in school, though I struggled with sports. Then one day, I slowly shifted into a practice of embracing challenge. After getting a taste of rock climbing and the joy that came from accomplishing something I wasn’t sure I could do, I sought out to do more “hard things“.

I didn’t know if I would be able to stomach the procedures involved in the practice of medicine, but I pursued it anyway. I chose to practice anesthesiology despite feeling slightly uncomfortable with the acute, mechanical nature of the specialty. Even though I had no formal training and no basis of strength or muscle memory, I started weight lifting. We fixed up an old travel trailer and outfitted a camper van with no assistance. We’ve gone on trips to places where we knew no one, spoke not one lick of the language, and/or had no idea what we’d do when we got there. I continue to rock climb and try routes and problems that are completely unsuited for my body type.

These experiences have allowed me to slowly adopt a growth mindset in most aspects of my life. If I can send a hard climb or deadlift more than my body weight or undergo three rounds of IVF to get pregnant, why can’t I solve that problem at work, parent an exuberant young girl, or even start my own business? Doing hard things helps us to awaken to new possibilities. Awakenings often happen unintentionally, such as when we suffer a death of a loved one or a health crises, but we can also benefit from the occasional, intentional disruption to our routine. Trying a 30-day challenge or taking lessons to learn a new craft can help us to avoid what Napoleon Hill calls “drifting” through life.

The next hard thing on my plate: this fall, my husband and I have decided to enter the StrongFirst Tactical Strength Challenge. The TSC is a weight lifting competition that involves three events: a barbell deadlift, pullups or a flexed arm hang for time, and kettlebell snatches. I plan to enter the Women’s Novice class, and based on StrongFirst SFG standards for my weight, I should be snatching a 16 kg (35 lb) kettlebell. If you’ve never seen this movement demonstrated, it’s essentially a one arm kettlebell swing up to the overhead position, lockout, and then back down again. This summer, I’ve been spending one workout a week focusing on each of these events. Before this month, I had never snatched that big of a bell overhead; I didn’t know I could do it until I tried. But I’ve worked up to almost 100 snatches in 10 minutes so far!

The TSC Description

What hard things have you done lately? Inspire us by sharing them here!

 

Category: UncategorizedTag: challenge, mindset, personal growth, self, self-improvement, strength, weight lifting

The Case For Functional Fitness

May 8, 2017 //  by PracticeBalance//  4 Comments

How low can you go? The “toddler squat” = the perfect squa

Working in an operating room and following my patients postoperatively give me a great appreciation for the role of proper body functioning before and after surgery. I distinctly remember my own postoperative experience after major brain surgery, six years ago this month. I spent days lying in a hospital bed waiting for my fluid status and blood electrolytes to normalize, suffering intense headaches, eating lackluster hospital food, and barely engaging in any physical activity. When I was released, I could barely get out of a seated position without help. Exiting the seat of a car was a huge endeavor, requiring bracing and steadying my hands on the car door and frame. Taking stairs felt like a monumental task. And this was after brain surgery. On an otherwise healthy 37 year old. Who likes to fancy herself as athletic!

After this experience, I could only imagine what was in store for my orthopedic surgery patients, who are usually much older and have many more health issues at baseline. How do they successfully move on from the assault on their limbs? While proper physical therapy is a cornerstone of effective postoperative recovery, range of motion, strength, and balance should ideally be addressed before people undergo a major surgery.

Those of us who engage in regular physical activity like to think that we are “fit”. Yet how functional is our fitness, really? Can you do a pullup, a pushup, a bodyweight squat? How about a one-legged bodyweight squat? These are only some metrics of functional fitness, and I can tell you that currently can’t do any of them except for the pushup. The Sitting-Rising-Test (SRT) was designed and studied in 2000+ patients to inversely correlate longevity with the amount of “points” you require to get your body down to the ground and back up again. I’m pretty good (but not perfect) on that one, needing to use one hand to go from sitting on the ground to standing.

After spending some “me” time lifting weights this spring, I’m turning attention to my mobility as a means to facilitate gaining more strength. I’ve adopted a practice of doing at least 10 bodyweight squats per day in perfect form (which for me, at the present moment, requires grabbing onto something with my hands at the bottom of the squat position due to ankle mobility limitations). Here is a link to the best video I’ve seen on regressions of the squat for poor mobility situations. I’m also still working on achieving a real pullup – the sticking point being the bottom or initiation of the pull – by doing at least one scapular retraction exercise every day.

We all have busy lives. Focusing on functional exercises over other types of activity may benefit us not only for overall fitness but for that moment in the future when we get sick or need an operation.

What about you? Have you considered your functional fitness? What kinds of exercises are you trying lately?

Category: UncategorizedTag: fitness, patient, postoperative, rehabilitation, self, self-care, surgery, weight lifting

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PracticeBalance

Dawn L. Baker MD, MS is the founder of PracticeBalance.com. She became interested in the topics of stress management and wellness when she experienced her own health challenges during residency training. Dawn is dedicated to discussing current issues in self-care and simplicity in the four realms of life balance: work, home, community, and self. Her writing has been featured in national syndicates such as KevinMD and Medpage Today, and she is also a regular contributor to the Mothers in Medicine blog. Dawn is a proud wife and mother to one daughter and one whippet dog. In her leisure time, she enjoys traveling, rock climbing, strength and conditioning exercise, attempts at practicing yoga, and long walks with her family.

PB on Instagram

“Next time you write off doing something that seems exclusionary or expensive on the surface, take a closer look and you may be surprised at how much value that expense can provide.”
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Today’s #practicebalance #blogpost has us spending almost $300/mo on a gym membership at @lifetimevegas. The idea came from listening to a podcast with @fatfueledmom, who loves the kids’ activities at their Life Time gym. Does it seem worth the $$? Read (link below or in profile) to decide.
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https://practicebalance.com/2019/02/valueist-staycation-a-gym-membership-or-spa-getaway/
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#newblogpostup #notsponsored #somedocs #valueist #moneymatters #frugaldoc #attendinglife #doctorsofinstagram #toddlermomlife #womeninmedicine #doctormom #vacationspots #staycations #parttimedoctor #fulltimemommy #fitdoc #fitdoctorsofinsta
This is me in Thailand looking for cool shells to make into jewelry. Yes, doctors make jewelry, and yes, doctors wear bikinis. We’re human just like our patients, and the only way we’re going to #beatburnout in medicine is to normalize our human-ness, to thus change the culture and the #hiddencurriculum. Thanks to @drcorriel for starting the #docsbeatburnout challenge. @amyn.cowan, I’m sure you have some things and pics to share about this, so I’m tagging you!
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#practicebalance #SoMeDocs #attendinglife #residentlife #medstudentlife #doctormom #mothersinmedicine #womeninmedicine #ladyboss #medstagram #doctorsofinstagram
@tbdslc will be embarrassed by me posting this, but it’s #valentinesday2019. I mean, I got the whole package here: brains & beauty & an awesome father. I’m so lucky he showed up in my freshman engineering class ♥️⚡️😻
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#partnerforlife #thoseabstho #nofilter #nophotoshop #iloveyou #daughterdaddy #toddlermomlife #shello #soluckytohaveyou #vday2019 #bemyvalentine❤️
“Two roads diverged in a wood and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” - 🖌Robert Frost
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Life has lots of different paths 🛤 #practicebalance #roadlesstraveled #labyrinth #growingaspen #freerangeparenting #freerangekid #alwayslearn
Are you always trying to reach new heights? How about the height of perfection?
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Today #ontheblog I give my take on self-love and chasing perfection (hint: don’t do it!)... #linkinprofile👆and below:
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https://practicebalance.com/2019/02/be-your-own-valentine/
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#practicebalance #newblogpostalert #selflove #selfimprovement #perfectionism #womenbloggers #womeninmedicine #somedocs #doctormom
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Image credit: stylized AZ sunset by Jim Lowman (my dad)
Getting stronger 💪🏼
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#growingaspen #thatsmygirl #functionalfitness #letthemplay #letthemclimb #outdoorplay #getoutsidemore #climbingtraining #parkplay #toddlermomlife
View of #wasatchmountains sunrise out the airplane window. Headed back to the desert today ❄️🗻➡️☀️🏜
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#parttimedoctor #doctormom #twohomes #homeiswherethe♥️is #blessed🙏🏼
Treacherous conditions today. I had to shovel a foot of snow at 5 am, while it was snowing sideways on me, which then just reaccumulated quickly. Everything is closed... except the hospital of course.
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#thehospitalnevercloses #therewillalwaysbepatients #weareallpatients #attendinglife #residentlife #medstudentlife #doctorlife #womeninmedicine #doctormom #somedocs #anesthesiologist #cantcallinsick #snowsquall #lakeeffect #mountainlife #wintersuckssometimes
Read more from this inspiring woman @frugalphysician on my blog today! #linkinprofile👆or below
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https://practicebalance.com/2019/02/a-balanced-interview-3-the-frugal-physician/
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#practicebalance #newontheblog #womenphysicians #worklifebalance #womenbloggers #doctorblogger #bloginterview #doctormom #womeninmedicine #frugalista #moneymatters #financialfreedom #financialindependence #financialblogger
She’s #mywhy❤️... the reason I #practicebalance, the reason I exercise #selfcare. Even though I had my brush with #burnout and being a patient, she changed the denominator. I’ve simplified my roles in medicine even more. 🌹
Everyone’s balance is different. For me, #resilienceinmedicine means choosing to work part time, have less stuff and less notoriety but more time with her. Thanks to @reflectionsofamillennialdoctor for tagging me! And happy #nationalwomenphysiciansday!
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#nwpd #whatsyourbalance #workhomecommunityself #womeninmedicine #doctormom #parttimedoctor #fulltimemom

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anesthesia (8) balance (15) burnout (8) challenge (7) community (12) exercise (8) family (23) financial independence (5) fitness (7) gratitude (9) habits (8) happiness (15) health (10) home (22) infertility (6) IVF (10) journaling (10) lessons from my daughter (6) mindfulness (16) money (5) parenting (9) personal growth (6) physician (13) pregnancy (8) professional (12) residency (6) resolutions (6) rock climbing (9) self (47) self-acceptance (7) self-care (21) self-improvement (8) self-knowledge (18) self-reflection (10) simplicity (9) starthere (9) strength (5) stress (17) stress management (30) top posts (5) vacation (13) values (15) vulnerability (6) weight lifting (6) work (25)

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  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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