January 21, 2022

The Well-being Word

January 21, 2022

**Erin Herrera, CRNA**
Associate Vice-Chair of Well-Being

As I reflected this week on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s continued relevance and impactful legacy I was drawn to his quote; “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”. For many of us working in medicine (and its vital surrounding support), we have dedicated our lives to “doing for others.” We give a lot of ourselves to those we serve; our time, skills, and our mental and emotional space. Especially now, with a world in so much strife and pain, it is easy to get lost in the service of others and forget to take care of yourself.

While the words of Dr. King continue to ring undeniably true, it is important to learn to serve others without losing yourself in the process. We cannot effectively care for others without caring for ourselves as well.

In an effort to help you better care for yourself and those you love, the department has purchased a subscription to Calm for each of our members. This program allows you unlimited access to guided meditations, specialized music playlists to help with stress and focus, mindful movement video and audio, relaxing sleep stories, tailored content for children, wisdom-filled masterclasses led by experts, and much more.

Meditation and mindfulness training has been SCIENTIFICALLY proven to help in many ways. For my data, numbers and research loving friends, below are several of the many studies on this topic:

We will be sending out information next week with instructions on how to access the Calm app, as well as how to share your subscription with up to 5 additional devices to allow your family and loved ones to benefit from this content as well!

Wellness Walk – Saturday, Jan. 22 at 10am

Our first departmental Wellness Walk will be held this Saturday at Tower Grove Park from 10-12 am! Meet the group in front of the Piper Palm House at 10 am.

Please bundle up and come join us for a casual walk followed by a trip to the Winter Farmers Market. This is a great event to meet new department members as well as connect and unwind with friends. Families, friends, kids, pets are all welcome!

The first 10 department members to find me get a free WashU anesthesia winter hat!!

FUN FACT: Dr. Bryan Meyers, Chief of Thoracic Surgery at WashU is also chief farmer at Three Springs Farm. Come visit him and his farm stand at the market this weekend!

Learn more

Support from WashU Colleagues

Our friends in the Department of Neuroscience and the Department of Cell Biology & Physiology shared the following images with us to show their appreciation to all of YOU!

Featured Resources

There are many apps, mindfulness resources, online support groups, and other tools to help you cope with challenges. Or maybe you just need a fun podcast recommendation or a book to read. Take a look at the collection of resources below.

If you have any resources you’d like to share, let us know here!

EAP Buddy Program

Are you looking for a way to connect with others on a more regular basis? The Employee Assistance Program has created a “Buddy Program.” Check Up or Check in with a buddy through this program to support your mental health!

FREE At-Home COVID-19 Tests
Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of four free at-home tests from USPS.com. Limit of one order per residential address. Orders will ship free starting in late January.

Order today!