mindfulness in the medical world.
Mindfulness is becoming very ‘trendy’ nowadays.
And with good reason. We, as a society, have reached a shifting point in the seemingly endless cycle of stress, rush, and – well – un-mindfulness.
I was watching a TEDx video entitled
“The Practice of Mindfulness”
by Diana Winston (from UCLA), when I realized how the seemingly simple act of being mindful is incredibly vital to being a physician.
Mindfulness is the practice of being present and aware of your surroundings. Winston mentioned how, at many times while we’re driving, we tend to switch to “auto-pilot.” As you may imagine, that’s very dangerous.
But, have you ever thought of physicians, surgeons, etc. going on “auto-pilot”? That’s dangerous, too.
She mentioned her child’s practice of mindfulness. She would stop and stand in the middle of the road gazing at something utterly mesmerizing in her eyes. She was captivated.
Children, according to Winston, are excellent at being mindful. For all we know, they could be staring at leaves rustling in the wind or listening to water dripping from the faucet – but that’s just it! They master a, sort of, connection with the world that we, as adults, have lost over the years through education and experience (oh the irony).
So, how does this all fit into the grand scheme of being a doctor?
A doctor needs to possess the ability to be present with their patients; in order to figure out the best solution for each of their cases, you need to truly listen and be.
I believe this is why the new (2015) MCAT received an added psychology/sociology section; it comes from the ultimate goal to cultivate mindful doctors and physicians who are, not only smart and quick, but have the ability to resonate with humans.
“Mindfulness” can give modern doctors the edge that may have been absent in the past.
And, because this is a site for millennials, here are some of the top mindfulness apps to download:
discoholicmusic
snowghoul
baratheonpilled
origamiaround
