Read on Twitter
Over the past 2 weeks I've had the opportunity to connect with a bunch of junior colleagues & trainees.
I desperately want to correct a misconception I keep hearing over & over: The belief that EVERYONE ELSE is doing okay.
(TL/DR? None of us have it all figured out.)
I desperately want to correct a misconception I keep hearing over & over: The belief that EVERYONE ELSE is doing okay.
(TL/DR? None of us have it all figured out.)
This year in particular, it's so easy to simultaneously feel:
a) we're drowning
b) we're falling behind
c) we're missing some secret sauce that others have, that makes it all easier
a) we're drowning
b) we're falling behind
c) we're missing some secret sauce that others have, that makes it all easier
TBH: I'm among those who feel that way.
I look around & think "What do they know, that I don't?!" (How did they publish so many papers? How are their twitter threads always on point? Why are their baked goods so beautiful?! Why are their kids so happy? WHY AM I NOT LIKE THAT?!)
I look around & think "What do they know, that I don't?!" (How did they publish so many papers? How are their twitter threads always on point? Why are their baked goods so beautiful?! Why are their kids so happy? WHY AM I NOT LIKE THAT?!)
[Getting distracted by others' successes is a very normal human emotion btw]
![[Getting distracted by others' successes is a very normal human emotion btw]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EtzQG4cXcAEm0H4.jpg "[Getting distracted by others' successes is a very normal human emotion btw]")
But behind every public success, are a bunch of private failures, breakdowns, and struggles.
And there's just about no one who doesn't feel burnt out, overwhelmed, and exhausted by this pandemic. https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/both-remote-and-on-site-workers-are-grappling-with-serious-mental-health-consequences-of-covid-19/
And there's just about no one who doesn't feel burnt out, overwhelmed, and exhausted by this pandemic. https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/both-remote-and-on-site-workers-are-grappling-with-serious-mental-health-consequences-of-covid-19/
Plus, this pandemic - esp for those of us in #healthcare, #publichealth, and science - has created a WHOLE NEW AREA OF PROFESSIONAL WORK on top of our existing work.
.... never mind the home stuff.
Nothing gets our full attention, & it never feels like enough.
.... never mind the home stuff.
Nothing gets our full attention, & it never feels like enough.
This sense of not-being-noticed-and-not-being-enough is, of course, particularly acute for women and BIPOC - who were already dealing with rampant inequities. https://www.aamc.org/news-insights/how-covid-19-threatens-careers-women-medicine
So....
A couple weeks ago, @gradydoctor posted this beautiful framework for deciding what to spend our time on:
https://twitter.com/gradydoctor/status/1356079913648984066?s=20
It has stuck with me.
A couple weeks ago, @gradydoctor posted this beautiful framework for deciding what to spend our time on:
https://twitter.com/gradydoctor/status/1356079913648984066?s=20
It has stuck with me.
And as I've talked to mentees & friends, I think this is really what we need:
1) The knowledge that what we're all doing, is enough.
2) The knowledge that none of us have it figured out
3) The permission to keep following our passion
and
1) The knowledge that what we're all doing, is enough.
2) The knowledge that none of us have it figured out
3) The permission to keep following our passion
and
4) The ability to differentiate what USED to serve us, from what serves us now.
Sending hugs to all of you. You are all enough, and this moment is tough.
/fin
/fin
